School Trip to Paris

[Verbena37]

Hi.
In a couple of weeks, my year 8 child is off to a Euro Disney with school for a couple of days and on one day, they are off into Paris City to visit a few places, eat out etc.
With all of the recent trouble in Paris, would you send your child? It's not really Disney I'm concerned about.....and I'm not worrying about any more shootings really I don't think. It's more the worry about more mass demos and protests and what that may entail. With 10000 troops with weapons being sent into Paris etc and the implications if something kicked off whilst they were there.
I just feel slightly uneasy about them going. Any thoughts?

no one has called it that for 20 years

Haven't they? What do you call it then? Oh.....Disneyland Paris?
I don't know.....I don't do heights and so have no desire to go to theme parks. I'm sure it was called Eurodisney when it opened didn't they? I'm getting old

Everyone calls it Euro Disney. Ironic, innit.

zammo - google euro disney; it is still referred to as that online in many places inc official sites at times.

I know loads of people who still call it that. Probably as that is what it's original name was and they were old enough to know it as that before. I call is Disneyland Paris but lots of friends say euro disney.

only old feckers, I think

So a friend sent these statements to me this afternoon when I asked if the suspension is still in place...
Consignes de sécurité applicables dans les établissements relevant du ministère

À la suite de l’attentat survenu le 7 janvier 2015 au siège du journal Charlie Hebdo à Paris, le Premier ministre a décidé d’élever le dispositif Vigipirate au niveau "alerte attentat" en région Picardie et en Île-de-France, soit les académies d'Amiens, de Paris, de Créteil et de Versailles...

And.....
Les voyages, séjours et sorties scolaires, à caractère exceptionnel, organisés en région Île-de-France et en Picardie sont, jusqu’à nouvel ordre, suspendus. Les recteurs demanderont aux maires de bien vouloir appliquer la même mesure pour les sorties et déplacements relevant du temps périscolaire.

Seems like it's only French children though.....doesn't mention foreigners visiting Bonsoir?

Why would you take risks with your DC that the French are not prepared to take with theirs?

The restrictions are no fun but we want them.

I have had a reply from The Study Experience this morning. Trying to copy it but can't seem to.
Basically the company the self say it's all fine and they would alter arrangements if necessary but the Foriegn haven't stipulated anything.

Then, they have sent a statement by ABTA.....stating that the suspension is only for French schools and that Paris is welcoming school trips with open arms!!!!

The statement from the travel company says.....

Verbena - and are you OK with that?

I just don't know.

Why would France suspend their own children's trips and not our's?
Surely if there is a significantthrepat, it should be all childrens groups DH just keeps saying it's fine if the Foreign Office says it is. .

I don't think there is any logic in it at all.

We aren't restricting our DCs' movements for fun, and we are hearing again and again that the restrictions are going to last for at least another montH.

Think I am going to ring British embassy in Paris then,

The restrictions would sway it for me.

I think this sounds extraordinary. It doesn't seem to make any sense that the risk is too high for French children but ok for children from other countries. I hope you get some clarification from officialdom, Verbena.

Ok, so I just called the embassy who put me through to a consulate officer....

She knew absolutely nothing about the French restrictions and told me that the FCO would put advice straight onto its website if there was a risk.

She also agreed that the difference in French and British children should be the same.....if one country is restricted so should they all be.

Well, see,s like I will have to called the French embassy......eek..haven't spoken conversational French for about a year.....any volunteers Bonsoir

The French Embassy in London speaks English!

I think you are doing exactly the right thing, Verbena. Someone needs to get to the bottom of the flawed logic in the advice you are receiving and you, as the parents of a DC who is supposed to be travelling, are very well placed to do so.

I was only joking about you calling them Bonsoir .

Aha yes....I was thinking the French embassy were in France....doh !

Ok, cool, will call them.
Someone must know!
Perhaps British consulate girl will go off and query it now I spoke to her as well.

Ok, so can't get through to French consulate in London but have just called the local council who deal with school trips for my county and they know nothing. When I told him what the ABTA statement says, he was shocked!

He says he is going to look into it.

Sounds good!

Well done for persisting.

Bonsoir are you there as a British national? Not trying to pry but just wondering whether the suspension had stopped British national children in Paris from going on trips too?

As a last resort, have just emailed the British School in Paris....with the idea that as they're a British school, they may have been informed about the suspension. Good job I'm I'll today otherwise I would feel quite lazy sitting on the sofa researching this all day !

I'm a British national but that has nothing to do with the current rules. DC of whatever nationality who are at school in Paris are subject to these restrictions.

Sorry to butt in but I assume the nationality of the child doesn't really come into it, it is about the school who is responsible for the children. My DD went on trips at her Paris school but is not a French national. The same rules applied to her as to all her French classmates.

Bonsoir, I hope that things are calming down now in Paris and that you and your family are safe. We left Paris last year to come to Cairo and it is a novel and very sad experience for us to be the ones worrying about friends and loved ones there instead of the other way around.

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