B & E At the Pioneer Village

[Emmeileia]

I work at an 1860's historic village. We have about 30 buildings, not all of which are open to the public at any one time.

Today was quite busy, we had a lot of different schools coming to visit. Mostly we get Grade 3's and Grade 7's, but in this case we also had a high school visiting. The first I saw of the kids was when I poked my head out of the building I was working in and saw four kids jumping up and down on a piece of farm machinery trying to break it!

I chased them off and called my boss. When I told her the name of the school, she said she knew exacly who I meant, as they had been 'busy' that day. It turns out that they decided to break into one of our closed buildings. Our historic carpentry shop, to be specific. This place is huge. It is an old carriage works, and most of it is used for storage of large artifacts. It contains many lovely, valuable and POINTY artifacts. So they broke in. (By throwing themselves against the door and mucking up the bolt, as far as we can tell). They got into our carpenter shop, our storage areas, even a small area we keep set aside for pre-schoolers.

This is without a doubt the most ludicrous, disrespectful thing I have ever seen at the village. I am really hoping the school is banned, and billed for any damage. I have to check in with my boss tomorrow to find out what is happening to them.

This after a week involving a crazed parent, an ambulance call, running out of all our historic baking supplies and having to improvise, and a kid doing a belly flop on a 200 year old bed and quilt. What a week.

[cindybubbles]

If it's the place I am thinking of, I remember going there, and losing my purse in the washrooms.

I also remember buying rock candy there, too. And the tours were awesome!

[Silent-Hunter]

Wouldn't banning the entire school be a bit unfair? I say ban that class, or those individual students, but it would be unfair to the other kids who are more well behaved to ban the entire school.

[Emmeileia]

I can agree that it would be unfair but I still hope they are asked not to come back, at least for a couple of years. The problem is not just the students themselves, but also the teachers. If there had been adequate supervision of the class on their 'exploring' time, this would not have happened. So we can't trust the teachers to control their kids behaviour, or keep track of them. (Students are not ever meant to wander around unsupervised, this is made clear to all teachers.) Banning the individual students would have little effect, as they are not likely to come back and it would not change the school culture that allowed the incident to happen in the first place. Also, the potential liability involved in what they did is huge. If one of them had hurt themselves in the shop, we could have had a big problem. Also, it was not one or two kids. It was the majority of the class who broke in, from what I heard.
It's not up to me, but I would want to see some proof the teachers would do better the next time before I let the school back.

[Greenday]

Wouldn't banning the entire school be a bit unfair? I say ban that class, or those individual students, but it would be unfair to the other kids who are more well behaved to ban the entire school.

The school's proven an inability to keep their kids out of trouble. It's not that unfair at all.

[evilhomer]

Also, the potential liability involved in what they did is huge. If one of them had hurt themselves in the shop, we could have had a big problem.

I hate this more than anything. We are responsible for protecting idiots from there own stupidity.

Has it been considered to lay charges against the assholes. It's unlikely anything would stick, but may put a bit of fear into the little shits, and would certainly get their parents attention.

[MoonCat]

More proof that too many people don't teach their kids to have respect for other people and other people's property.

[KatherineB]

This after a week involving a crazed parent, an ambulance call, running out of all our historic baking supplies and having to improvise, and a kid doing a belly flop on a 200 year old bed and quilt. What a week.

I hope your bed has the same make-up as the one at the historic mansion where I work - there's bricks under that lovely tempting quilt!

[Emmeileia]

Haha, oh my! I kind of wish it were bricks, but it is a rope bed, set up so the kids can see how it's done.

[Sapphire Silk]

*MOD EDIT - Image resized out of courtesy to our members. Click on image to enlarge

I have no words.

[Silent-Hunter]

Then ban the teachers as well, but I still think the whole school shouldn't be. I mean, not all the teachers can be like that, right?

[evilhomer]

Then ban the teachers as well, but I still think the whole school shouldn't be. I mean, not all the teachers can be like that, right?

Nobody will care if it's just individuals banned. Maybe someone will take notice if a whole group is punished.

Plus it was the school that allowed these lazy incompetents to go on this trip to "supervise" the children. If the school allows it's teachers to behave this way and disregard their duties, they deserve punishment as well. Fine, maybe they didn't know, but they should have. And like I said in my first point, nobody will care about a couple of individual bans.

[Seshat]

If the school is banned, individual well-behaved children can still go (with their parents, or in a group of several kids supervised by parents). Assuming, of course, this is a place which does allow the public in, not just school groups.

[eltf177]

Nobody will care if it's just individuals banned. Maybe someone will take notice if a whole group is punished.

Plus it was the school that allowed these lazy incompetents to go on this trip to "supervise" the children. If the school allows it's teachers to behave this way and disregard their duties, they deserve punishment as well. Fine, maybe they didn't know, but they should have. And like I said in my first point, nobody will care about a couple of individual bans.

I have to go with this. A permaban for the entire school will get their attention, nothing less will...

[CarcinogenCrunchies]

Ugh. As a history fanatic, the abuse and mishandling of antique items makes me sick at my stomach. If a school can't keep their students in line, they should at least be put on a probationary status - Strictly limited tours of small groups with a 1:2 chaperone/student ratio ought to do it.