Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

droopsnout

Errata, first of all, may I apologise for sounding crass in my previous posts on this. Of course, the death of a child is a tragedy that no-one wants to happen.

Perhaps I should explain the difficulties in a more reasoned way. When the government of the day started to require that teachers visit destinations in advance of a trip, they didn't give a thought about just how that could be achieved.

Either staff would have to do it during their own time - which, frankly doesn't go down well with spouses and teachers' own children, and it has to be paid for by someone, somewhere - or it has to be done during term time - which doesn't go down well with colleagues who have to cover lessons, or with the Head who has to pay supply staff wages, if they are used. (And it still has to be paid for).

I appreciate that the extra payment involved seems pathetically little in comparison to the deaths of children, but in practice, we were dealing with people in a deprived area who just didn't have cash to throw around, and who were quite happy to believe (and state openly) that these trips were organised as some kind of teachers' jolly. We had to keep costs down, or the children wouldn't have gone. And at the same time, the government said that it was illegal to make a charge for an educational trip. It was bizarre legislation.

Also, full written risk assessment reports had to be produced, and that takes absolute hours. That time has to be found from somewhere. In addition, in my case, I was taking children to France on day trips, including, for instance, a visit to a bakery or a chocolate maker's. To ask those craftsmen to take another half-hour out of their day to go through a risk assessment questionnaire with them would have met with all sorts of unpleasantness and incredulity. Again, better that than a child's death, but it simply isn't possible to force other people into compliance.

On another kind of trip, we took children by minibus through seven different countries, travelling as far as Venice. It would have been well nigh impossible to do a risk assessment trip to cover everything that could have happened.

I have seen school groups that were badly organised and badly supervised, with children not briefed on the standards of behaviour required, particularly on ferries, and know from that observation that insufficient care was put into the planning of their trip. It is the teachers' duty to make sure that expectations are clear, and to lay down limits, both in time and distance, when students are out of the visual supervision of the staff.

I'm pleased and very relieved that I never had an accident in any of my groups, over nearly thirty years of taking trips abroad, sometimes as many as six trips a year, all over Europe. I believe that was down to the excellence of the guidance I received from my seniors when I was a young teacher, and to the common sense and experience that came later.

On the other hand, when I was a student, I spent a summer working as a team leader in a French children's holiday camp. We wandered, with another team and their leader, along a country path through a forest. At one point, one little lad rushed off, as if someone was chasing him, but ran straight into a barbed wire fence which ripped into his throat. As we were in the middle of nowhere, I had to carry him back two or three miles to the accommodation, where he received treatment.

These days, with hindsight, perhaps we would have warned the children that they should keep away from the edges of the path, but it is impossible to predict every kind of accident, just as it is for parents to prevent their children from doing daft things.

I would venture to suggest (without any statistical evidence, admittedly) that more accidents occur when children are in their parents' care than when they are in the care of teachers. Watching such programmes as Seaside Rescue makes me think that way.

I realise that none of this helps Rochelle and Hannah. But I hope that it explains why the government's policy was ill thought out and pretty well impossible to implement properly. In an ideal world, where time and money are not important, risk assessment trips are great. But there will always be accidents. And, regrettably, in the niggardly world of education, both time and money are in short supply.

If any offence was caused by previous comments, once again, I apologise.

seven-day-weekend

Excellent post droopsnout.

On a lighter note, what's everyone doing for Christmas?

donny-gal

I'm back in the UK as I have said on the SKI-ers thread, so won't repeat myself here. I also take part/read in the Daily OS thread on here, and there are several just qualified teachers trying to find both supply and full time positions but it seems now there is a surplus of teachers.

I am another one who dislikes the A level methods now, as from the kids prospect they have nothing but exams for years, you start with the Sats, then mock GCSE's. then GCSE's, then if they have one subject they wish to improve November GCSE's in between they do not get a break after their GCSE's they start teaching the A2's immediately, with first exams in January, then June, then January the the final lot in June. If they go on to Uni, then they have annual exams there for 3 years.

Re the €-£ situation, then if you can get a current account and credit card with Nationwide, you get a far better rate than is given in travel exchanges, both on your CC and using your card in a machine in a Euro country to get out cash, with no charges. It may help it go further.

I know what you mean 7DW with the pension situation, though I will be 60 in 2011, I do not get my OAP until January 2013 and DH follows in August 2014.
DG

donny-gal

Again on a lighter note, I though you would appreciate this:

SPANISH COMPUTERS
A Spanish Teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.
'House' for instance, is feminine: 'la casa'.
'Pencil,' however, is masculine: 'el lapiz'.
A student asked, 'What gender is 'computer'?'
Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether 'computer' should be a masculine or a feminine noun.
Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.
The men's group decided that 'computer' should definitely be of the feminine gender - 'la computadora' - because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic.
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else.
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval.
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your money on accessories for it.
THIS GETS BETTER!
The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine - 'el computador' - because:
1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on.
2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves.
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem.
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that had you waited a little longer, you could have got a better model.
THE WOMEN WON!

DG

droopsnout

Good question!

Mrs Snout and I are at home here, on our own, and will blink at each other occasionally over the top of our lappies.

But the highlight of the day will be going out for lunch at my favourite restaurant. I can't believe that the owner is doing this for 30 euros (which used to be £20 not long ago, but is now almost £27), but the menu is: soup, foie gras with gingerbread, salad with scallops, either venison or duck breast, cheese, and four desserts; all wine included.

After that, I'll probably be asleep!!

donny-gal

I like that for an Xmas day menu, and much cheaper than you can get an Xmas lunch here. If you are at home when we are driving through (either way), you will certainly have company if you have a local restaurant like that!
DG

seven-day-weekend

We usually go out to an English Restaurant for Christmas lunch with other expats, but this time we have nothing planned at all.

We think we may take a picnic to the ski slopes at Puerto de la Ragua, which is a pass through the Sierra Nevadas, about half an hour's drive, and watch people ski-ing, sledging and driving husky-powered sleighs.

Should be good.

droopsnout

Sad to say, and perhaps strange considering my involvement here, but in general we stay well clear of almost all the other ex-pats in the area. We do have one couple as friends, and he is English, and she is of German origin, and works full time.

seven-day-weekend

We only usually mix with some of the expats from our village (one British couple, an English/Dutch couple and a Dutch lady), we don't on the whole mix with large groups of expats. However on December 25th we have been going for our Christmas lunch with other expats, because the Spanish do not celebrate Christmas until January 6th.

However, as I say, ths year we have nothing planned for the 25th.

droopsnout

Any particular reason for giving it a miss this year?