Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

The coach didn't turn up today to take junior children...

77 replies

nocoach · 08/02/2008 16:34

...to an event at a nearby school.

Apparently, several parents who happened to be around ferried the children there in groups in their own cars.

What do you think?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

RustyBear · 09/02/2008 11:11

At the school I work at, any parent who carries another child to a school event (usually tag rugby, football or netball games) is asked to check that their insurance covers them & fill in a form to confirm this. We also make sure they have car seats where necessary (we have a couple of spares at school) though as this is a junior school, fewer children would need seats anyway.
I'm not sure whether the insurance form required by law or just by our local authority - I'd guess the latter from the replies on here. Quite a few polcies don't automatically cover you for carrying children in these circumstances, though many if not most companies will make the change for free if asked.

MsPontipine · 09/02/2008 11:29

If parents wish to be what I would class as exremely reckless with their child's safety then sadly I suppose that is their decision.
However in this case the parents were not given the opportunity to decide as it appears the school made that decision for them.

Surely in this situation it could only be fitting for the school to err on the side of extreme, extreme caution.

As for insurance - what good is insurance??

All I ask is reassurance that all possible is being done to get my ds from A to B in one piece. Otherwise I would chose for him not to make this journey.

naturalblonde · 09/02/2008 11:46

MsPontipine, I think you've gone a bit ott, I assume you would be happy for you child to go on a coach to school or on a school trip?

Children do not have to travel in car seats in coaches, there are usually only lap belts, and IME most kids take them off as soon as teacher's back is turned. Not only that but they are driven by strangers, whose driving ability you have no idea about.

I think that some perspective is needed.

Elphaba · 09/02/2008 11:50

"However in this case the parents were not given the opportunity to decide as it appears the school made that decision for them."

That's exactly why I would be angry.

Elphaba · 09/02/2008 11:52

But you accept that risk if you know your child is travelling in a coach - just because coaches only have a lap belt does that mean we may as well just never bother with car seats at all?

The issue for me would be that the school had made this decision without my input or consent. Totally out of order.

NorthernLurker · 09/02/2008 11:54

Ms Pontipine - if you are going to class as 'extremely reckless' any parent who allows their child to go in another persons car then you are a) going to offend a huuuuuge number of parents and b) spend a lot of your time ferrying your child from activity to activity whilst his friends parents do the same! My children get lifts with other parents reasonably frequently. I check booster seats are available then I let them go, trusting those parents to be as careful with my own child as they are with their own. Fortunately I don't know any parents who drive like F1 drivers with children rattling around in their cars

Elphaba · 09/02/2008 11:56

Yes, but you know the parent and you know they have appropriate seating in their car.

It doesn't sound as though this was the case here.

hercules1 · 09/02/2008 11:59

I have never ever questioned or been questioned by any other parent when giving lifts. I assume they will use appropriate seating and belts and I do the same. The op wouldnt bother me in the slightest.

NorthernLurker · 09/02/2008 12:01

we don't know what happened here - I don't think the children were stacked three deep im a fifteen year old people carrier though Why is it our default position to assume something was dangerous to children rather than assuming that the parents will all have been well known to the teachers at the school, with well maintained vehicles and the loan of the school booster seats as needed (our school certainly has seats for this type of thing)?

muppetgirl · 09/02/2008 12:04

We had the same poicy whereas parents had to show valid insurance documents and MOT certs to my head teacher to take children in cars. I must admit that I, as a teacher, never took children in my car. I felt it wasn't a responsiblity I wanted. I organised and took part in many school trips, organised many during and after school clubs but I did not deem it part of my responsibility to ferry children around using my vehicle/petrol etc.

jenkel · 09/02/2008 12:16

As it was an emergency I would not have a problem with it, perhaps I'm silly but I tend to think the best of people until I am proved wrong. I wouldnt be happy if this happened every week but have no problem with it happening once as an emergency, I trust the staff at my dd's school and would be happy that they would make the best decision. With the car seat issue, I never had a car seat when I was a child and I wasnt injured along with probably most of the UK population my age.
I do think its a shame now that most people automatically think the worst of people, noboy can be trusted etc.

MsPontipine · 09/02/2008 12:24

An emergency is an urgent life or death dash to the nearest hospital not " to an event at a nearby school "

I am going out now - not backing down.

Back later

MsPontipine · 14/02/2008 01:21

bump

seeker · 14/02/2008 06:20

How old are the children we're talking about?

ladette · 15/02/2008 18:18

same thing happened to my DD last week going to local leisure centre. I spoke to another parent about it as I was quite shocked when I found out (some days later0. I suspect the teacher just didn't know what to do and had to make a quick decision. As it happens, I know the person who took my DD and trust her implicitly - but it might not have been someone I knew. They didn't have car seats tho DD just about tall enough, but DD sat in the front and I never allow this in our car.

MsPontipine · 15/02/2008 22:07

Hi Ladette. I'm not surprised you were shocked - I'd be absolutely fuming. I can't beleive such decisions are being made. That a teacher thinks it is ok to flout the most basic of safety rules for convenience on the behalf of other people's children just beggars belief surely.

As for children sitting in the front - I did actually used to have my son in the front seat of my car ( correct car seat of course ) until my mum called it "The Suicide Seat". Kind of stays in your head ...

ladette · 16/02/2008 18:44

The other thing is that there are parents at our school (not many, but one or two) who don't belt their kids in. Ever. We have written to the head about it in the past. What if they'd been the parents taking my DD?? Having older kids (14 & 10) I tend to be more relaxed about things than I used to be, but on this issue, I am still really annoyed. I can appreciate the teacher had to make a spot decision. But had they phoned me at work and said "Mrs xxx is taking your DD, is that OK" I would have been happy with it, Could even have come out of work and helped myself. It's more the fact that we weren't consulted. And it wasn't the whole year going, so wouldn't have taken that long to ring round. Anyway, this isn't my OP, just ranting along, so would be interested in hearing what Nocoach thinks after all these posts.

alfiesbabe · 16/02/2008 19:05

I agree with madamez on this one. Of course common sense is required, but it's going OTT to see every adult outside the family as a potential chainsmoking, drink driving paedophile. This kind of neurosis rubs off on your children (even if you try not to let it) and won't do them any favours. If you're that paranoid then why ever let them in a car at all?! Why let them learn to ride a bike? Or go to a friends house to play? Life is for living, not for carrying out a risk assessment before you get out of bed in the morning.

cat64 · 16/02/2008 19:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

robinpud · 16/02/2008 19:16

Well said cat64 and others

wannaBe · 16/02/2008 19:18

what a load of histeria.

When we take our children to school the school is responsible for them. Do people honestly think that the school would take risks with children just for the hell of it?

the children were going to be going on a trip, without carseats, they still went on the trip, potentially without carseats. so what is the difference here? is it the fact that they were with other parents?

chances are that if these parents are crb checked they're probably all known to the children anyway.

fgs get a grip

ladette · 16/02/2008 19:19

As I said, I happen to know the parent who took my DD and know she would take good care of her. Have even let go of the fact that she didn't have a car seat and was sat in the front (which would never happen in our car, but have chilled on that) The point is, that there ARE parents who i wouldn't want taking my child, because I know the never even strap in their own children, so why would they strap in mine? I don't think anyone ever said anything about thinking they were chainsmoking paedophiles. But let's just agree to differ. Obviously you couldn't give a shit who gives your kids a lift, but please don't criticise those of us who would like to know who has our children out and about.

Surroundedbysnot · 16/02/2008 19:22

I would be happy for any of the mums in our class to take ds - he's often picked up by them and taken for tea anyway ...

ladette · 16/02/2008 19:27

yes, but these weren't mums in the class. Just random parents who happened to be around at the time. My DD happened to know the Mum taking her - and as I have said, very happy with that. It's more the principle.

alfiesbabe · 16/02/2008 20:21

'Obviously you couldn't give a shit who gives your kids a lift,'

What an intelligent well thought out response to someone who happens to think differently from you. Hope you're doing a good job of passing on your spiteful venom to your own kids.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Swipe left for the next trending thread