UK Terror Threat CRITICAL School Trips

[Webaz999]

My daughter has a school trip coming up
in a few weeks for 4 days in London. My daughter is only 10 and I am really anxious about her going. I was worried after the Westminster attack in March and I did contact the school just after that attack, the headteacher did make me and my husband feel like a pair of drama queens and said that no other parents had contacted him about it and the trip was still going ahead. Obviously now following the shocking attack in Manchester I am even more anxious, I saw today on sky news that police have advised that all tours/events around Westminster are cancelled with immediate effect, however on my daughters school facebook page the headteacher has again said in a post today that he has contacted the Police and has been advised that the trip can still go ahead. The headteacher has said that he wouldn't do anything to put our children in danger, i know he wouldn't but it is not him im worried about!! I really do not want my daughter to go now and I know people say don't let the terrorists win but I am just not willing to take that risk with my daughter. I feel for her though as I seem to be the only parent who is not letting her child go. I personally think it is very irresponsible for schools to take children into central London at this present time with a threat level at Severe or Critical. It puts parents under extreme anxiety, most parents I know are only letting their children go because they don't want them being the only ones not going so it's like peer pressure! I would be interested to hear your thoughts?

London tourist spots are heavily guarded by armed military. I don't think you can make anything in life guaranteed as safe, but i think most school trips to the city would be very secure right now.

For those saying does the OP never let her child in a car or cross the road etc.. it's a silly comparison because it's the difference between necessity and choice. We all have to travel to work /school and we all have to cross roads to live our daily lives. We don't all have to choose to visit tourist hot spots at the moment.

And for people making the point about children at school in central London, I presume those children are in their classrooms or playground not spending every day visiting tourist attractions.

There is no wrong or right answer here, there is only what each of us feels most comfortable with.

For me it's a devil angel thing.

8 years of policing I've learnt there is high risk and unknown mostly it's unknown no matter how much you pick it too pieces and have the what ifs, it's impossible to predict and prevent these awful incidents. Every day realistically we make the choice to go out and most things are a potential danger let's be honest, you could say your the safety's driver in the world but someone has left the pub, it was old Bobs retirement party down the local the driver decides Bob is a nice chap let's raise a toast and another, and another well one more isn't going to hurt anyone...except it is, driver gets in car and hits your car on way home after a lovely picnic, you couldn't predict that, no one could. My point is if you live in fear the you don't live at all.

I do get anxious my aunt was killed in a car accident and my MIL was killed in a hit and run but it doesn't stop me walking down that road, whisky out natural instinct is to protect and I get that as a mother ultimately we are teaching our children we must be afraid.

I live in London and my daughter has gone on a trip today.

Relaxing is easier said than done.

Thankyou lego I probably overreacted a little, you have made some valid points, thanks again

There were LOADS of school trips in and around the Tower of London yesterday and all along the embankment. I honestly did not notice the atmosphere to be any different than normal. There were quite a few policemen with guns but then there always are. Loads of tourists, smiling people in the sunshine etc. DC1 is currently on a residential in the West Country- I'm more worried about the coach trip home.

I have just read a reputable newspaper and the expectation is that the critical level is unlikely to remain in place for more than one week.

It makes sense. That creature couldn't have planned this atrocity by himself and made the bomb too. There has to be accomplices out there and until they are found, there will be heightened security around. I hope they catch every single bastarding one of them and... [Insert your own ideas here].

thankyou for all of your comments, I have been reading all of them and taking your points on board. The one that sums it up for me the most is MissyB1's post. I have to admit that I agree severe is the norm for London but with all that has happened recently and it now bring at critical, this sis what caused me to start this thread. Once again, thankyou

I would prefer the school to just cancel it so that I am not Mrs Bad guy!!!

OP you have to live by the choices you make - it's unfair for you to pass the buck to someone else to make those decisions for you.

You take responsibility for you choices

For those saying does the OP never let her child in a car or cross the road etc.. it's a silly comparison because it's the difference between necessity and choice. We all have to travel to work /school and we all have to cross roads to live our daily lives. We don't all have to choose to visit tourist hot spots at the moment.

It is not a silly comparison at all. It is trying to make a rational point at a time when many people are clouded by anxiety and fear and reacting irrationally. The point is that we choose (and we do choose) to accept the risk that comes with using roads every day and generally we do not think twice about it. Not even to the extent of going "I know that statistically I could very well die on this journey to work but I have to do it so I will grit my teeth and get on with it". We just do it. Equally, some people are now choosing not to accept the risk that comes with travelling to London. And that is fine. But don't try to pretend that it is a much greater risk than all the thousands of decisions we make every day without questioning ourselves on them at all. It's not.

My DD's school HAVE cancelled all school trips to London this term (there were several planned) and I'm really disappointed. The threat level is very likely to be dropped down again soon and the children are missing out on a great experience because of a very, very small risk. They are still running other trips, which require coach travel and therefore seem far riskier to me. In fact they still walk the children to the local swimming pool along a very busy road.
I do understand why people feel so afraid and I can completely understand schools cancelling trips- they have to be seen to be 'putting safety first' - but I don't agree with it.

OP if you don't feel you want your DD to go then don't let her .

My DSs are both in London schools and all trips to Central London are cancelled . And we live here.

To those saying many kids live in London , Yes they do . But that does not mean us parents are not worried ourselves. Even when they go to school I am afraid for them now thanks to bastard terrorists .

I know this response isn't timely but a school official who uses the "no other parent . . ." is thoughtless and attempting to deflect your legitimate concerns by touting a herd mentality. When my son was going with a group to France from the US, the teacher and other parents were keen that each child wear a T-shirt emblazoned with "U.S. Ambassador" I was accused of being (gasp) "unAmerican," when I objected. After directing their attention to the US Sec. of State website warning that American tourists not advertise their nationality, the outrage subsided and the T-shirts were abandoned. "Other parents" are often uninformed and are no standard by which your concerns should be judged.

but I am just not willing to take that risk with my daughter

10 million of us live in London, including more than a million children. What are you saying, that we Londoners don't care about our children, since it evidently isn't good enough for your child when ours continue to be here?

It isn't about you. Don't make it about you. I know this is only one of umpteen threads "I/ my precious DC are going to (insert jolly) in (insert city), but after (insert attack) and now we are missing out/ losing (insert amount).

Manchester, London, Paris and all the other targeted cities are not uninhabited fun parks to avoid when something bad happened. By all means stop coming if you must, but please also stop griping about it. There are real people caught up in this shit.

I know this response isn't timely but a school official who uses the "no other parent . . ." is thoughtless and attempting to deflect your legitimate concerns by touting a herd mentality

It depends what she actually said to him. If she was saying she didn't want her child to go I would agree with you. However, based on her other posts, it seems likely that she was asking him to cancel the trip completely in which case his response is valid.

Just to put it in perspective i know several children that use that line and station to go to school alone from 11 yo, millions of others use the tube to get to secondry including my own. Guess what they will all go to school monday on the tube.
The Met and Btp are fantastic at what they do and all the major tourist spots have armed police, they are not there for selfies contrary to what the tourists think!
Its up to you but no way would i allow a group of wankers input on my life.
Do as londoners do teach her vigilance, courage and to carry on.
My boys know what to do in the event of an attack but to be honest i spend more time worring about them being hit by a bloody moped.