Coronavirus and trip to Italy

[Tempee]

My husband is trip leader for a ski trip to Italy in 10 days. I am also due to go on the trip (we teach at the same school). The trip is not to an affected area and we have 90 pupils going at around £900 each. Money has all been paid and the tour operator are saying trip is running as normal. Our insurance (through tour operator) will not pay out if people choose to cancel.

We have the pre-trip briefing next week and I'm dreading it. I know some people will now want not only to keep their child from going (and therefore are willing to lose their money) and I understand this.

Some others will be willing to proceed and will very much want the trip to proceed. Senior Management of the school is saying proceed unless official guidance changes.
But of the first group of parents who are concerned some of them want the whole trip to be cancelled and everyone to lose their money, because of the risk the trip poses to the wider school community. By running the trip I know already that some parents think we aren't taking the threat seriously.

My husband and I are stressed about this and getting it right. How do we handle the meeting?

Although, even if the head was there all you can say at the meeting is that you've heard and understand everyone's concerns, will be closely following developments and will make a decision based on official advice nearer the time.

A few ideas: - call a vote amongst parents - do a risk analysis that you explain re quarantine etc. In any event, if you do go ahead ask every parent to sign a long disclaimer and lots of return quarantine confirmations (in case it all blows up in your face).

For me, the schools problems are the schools problems. Unless you are high SLT, the issue for the average teacher isn't about budget, parents etc. It's about what damage and blame they will cop if they're away in parentis loco and a students gets ill, or there is a lockdown. Equally, just as I would not expect a teacher with young children to have to do a field trip in usual circumstances, I would not expect a teacher with a risk factor such as breathing issues, autoimmune issues or heart issues to have to do the trip in these circumstances. I wouldn't like it - if we got quarantined i'd be very worried about my own kids at home irrespective of having to care for others. I've yet to see any union advice on it.

That said, my view is perhaps clouded by the fact that i've shown my class handwashing videos, hygiene clips as per gov advice and spoken to them about it and they still can't leave their noses alone or stop wiping their snotty nose hands everywhere.

Our local school has cancelled a ski trip to Northern Italy with no refunds for anyone. Parents seem happy enough as they'd be worried sick if guidelines changed and the kids ended up not being able to get home .

There is a ski trip to Italy in my son's school. He is not going as name not chosen out of hat but I am annoyed school sent letters to parents of kids going on trip in six weeks stating trip is definitely going ahead. I think letter should say school are hopeful trip can go ahead but will make final decision one week before trip to commence. If kids go and come back to school without 14 days self isolation they could potentially infect rest of school. If this happens I shall keep son who is asthmatic home from school and reach him myself at home for a few weeks.

Not a teacher but DD due to go on school trip to Italy in June - currently only deposits paid though I've paid in full.

I messaged the school to say if trip is being cancelled would be better to cancel now as insurance won't pay out unless FCO advice changes. Their reply was they are following government advice, trip is going ahead. I think that's a reasonable line to take. They are only changing if government advice changes. My child very much wants to go and will let them go.

I am a bit concerned if they go into lockdown who pays? I'm also concerned will lose all the money but that's not school's fault. I'm not concerned about chance of them getting coronavirus, think same as over here. If I had a child who I thought was very high risk and wanted to keep them at home for 14 days I would hope school wouldn't fine.

If this trip goes ahead they should go into quarantine on return. The cases that have no link to travel I bet are somehow linked to a spreader who is symptomless having gone on a skiing holiday. Think of the wider vulnerable community