39 לאנדענער מיידלעך ב"ה געטראפען געווארע

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/11711093?source=Evening%20Standard

Teacher 'led girls up mountain in trainers and skirts'
By Valentine Low, Evening Standard
1 July 2004
A teacher who led 39 London schoolgirls up a Scottish mountain in skirts and trainers, with only bin bags for protection, was today accused of putting their lives at risk.

Rescue chief John Allen said: "It is one of the worst cases, if not the worst, I have come across of a group being ill-prepared. It's horrifying. They broke every rule in the mountaineering book that was ever written."

The girls, aged 16 and 17, became disorientated when mist descended near the summit of Meall a' Bhuachaille, in the Cairngorms, yesterday afternoon

The woman teacher at the Beth Jacob Seminary for Girls, an Orthodox Jewish school in Stoke Newington, had no map, no compass and had to borrow a pupil's mobile phone to call 999.

Mr Allen said he was unable to talk the group off the 2,500ft peak, even though the mist lifted after an hour, as they did not know their position. After problems with mobile phone signals, 10 rescuers were sent to locate the party.

Mr Allen said the trip could have had fatal consequences, adding: "We were appalled to discover they were all wearing skirts and trainers. Some had bin liners and plastic sheets as waterproofs."

None of the girls required medical treatment and they were on their way back to London today after the rest of the trip was cancelled.

Rabbi Benyomin Dunner, head of Beth Jacob, apologised, thanked rescuers and promised an internal inquiry
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http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/07/02/nmount02.xml

'St Trinian's' mountain walk condemned
By Auslan Cramb and Chris Boffey
(Filed: 02/07/2004)


A teacher was accused yesterday of leading a "St Trinian's" group of girls up a Scottish mountain when they were wearing just school uniform, training shoes and black bin bags as protection against the weather.



John Allen, the leader of the mountain rescue team sent to escort them to safety, said the school had broken every rule in the mountaineering book and put the children's lives at risk.

The 40-strong party from the Beth Jacob Teachers' Seminary, an Orthodox Jewish school in north London, had no map or compass. The walkers lost their way when mist enveloped the summit of the 2,500ft Meall a'Buachaille (Shepherd's Hill), in the Cairngorms.

The teacher was forced to borrow a mobile telephone from one of the pupils to call for help before being led to safety by members of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, who said some of the 16- to 17-year-old girls were shivering with cold and "only a rain shower away from death".

Mr Allen expressed astonishment that one teacher was in charge of so many pupils, and that they had set out without the most basic equipment.

"I was almost speechless when I saw them," he added. "I have never seen so many people so ill-equipped. It was like the Belles of St Trinian's walking down through the mist. Neither the teacher nor the girls had any idea of what they were doing or how much danger they were in.

"This could very easily have had a tragic outcome. If it had been raining, or the temperature had dropped, the girls would have become hypothermic. They were in skirts, tights and trainers, had no hats and would have lost their body heat very quickly.

"On top of that, their leader, who should have been in charge of something like eight girls, not 39, had no map and no compass. I hate to criticise people who enjoy hill walking and I very rarely do it, but this was probably the worst case I have ever encountered and I hope that by condemning the school and the teacher something useful will come out of it.

"I don't think this would have happened with a Scottish school. I really have never seen anything like it."

Mr Allen had spoken to the teacher and some pupils by telephone, in a bid to talk them down off the hill, but said he could get "no sense at all from any of them".

By the time the group reached them, some of the girls were laughing and joking. "They had no idea of the seriousness of the situation, and some of the girls were less than polite. I won't tell you what other members of the rescue team said about them," said Mr Allen.

"I think the teacher only understood how dangerous the situation was after she was interviewed by the police. In a different situation, where the weather may have worsened, anything could have happened. The whole situation was quite horrendous."

The teacher, who had been staying with the group at a hostel in Nethybridge, refused to comment yesterday as the group travelled back to London by train.

Richard Eccles, the owner of the Nethy House Hostel, where the group was staying as part of a party of 61, including four mothers, said he had offered his services as a qualified mountain guide but had been told his help would not be needed for the walk they were planning.

They had stayed for four nights in self-catering "bothy" accommodation and he said that none of the girls was in any distress when they were driven back to the hostel after the incident.

However, another member of the rescue team complained that some of them had been "extremely rude" to their rescuers. He said one girl had asked him: "What took you so long? We called for help 45 minutes ago."

Another pupil said: "At the time we were a bit worried when we were lost in the mist, but it cleared up and we were fine. I don't see what the fuss is all about."

Judith Gillespie, of the Scottish Parent Teacher Council, said the details of the outing made her blood run cold, adding: "The risks that these children were exposed to does not bear contemplation."

Rabbi Benyomin Dunner, the head of the private Jewish school, apologised to parents and pupils and said there would be an immediate internal inquiry.

"This has been a very difficult time for all of us at Beth Jacob. On this occasion our normal procedures governing school trips were not in place. We apologise to parents and pupils and will be holding an immediate internal inquiry.

"We are grateful to the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team for their help, it was they who ensured that nothing serious occurred.

"Beth Jacob is mindful of its responsibilities and all procedures governing school trips will be thoroughly overhauled mindful of this unfortunate incident."

However, Mrs Gillespie said the school's apology was unacceptable. "To suggest that their guidelines were not in place is no excuse. Common sense would tell you it was absolutely mad to take teenage girls on to a mountain dressed like this.

"They were strung out over one kilometre when they reached the rescue services, and they were not adequately supervised for a walk in Regent's Park, let alone the Scottish mountains."
Related reports

Minimalist climber and client killed

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http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=14385396%26method=full%26siteid=89488%26headline=fool%2don%2dthe%2dhill-name_page.html

FOOL ON THE HILL Jul 2 2004


Teacher and 39 pupils get lost

By Alistair Munro


A TEACHER risked 39 girls' lives by taking them up a mountain in school skirts and trainers.

The party, from a private girls' school in London, were found shivering with only bin liners for protection and no equipment 2500ft up Meall a Bhuachaille, near Aviemore.

Last night, angry mountain rescuers said the female teacher in charge of the trip had left the teenagers 'a rainshower from death'.

When they became lost, they called the rescue team and on discovering one of the rescuers was the bus driver who was taking them around the area, asked if he could drive the coach up the mountain to get them.

They then asked to be airlifted off the peak by helicopter.

Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team leader John Allen said yesterday: 'I'm stunned. We were called about 4.30pm and they were lost in mist and low cloud.

'There was just one adult and39 girls, aged 16 and 17. Some children were frightened and others were freezing.

'The girls were dressed in school skirts, tights and trainers. Even the teacher had trainers on. A number were holding bin liners, which is of no use.

'They had no waterproofs, no hats, no compass.There was one map,which noone could use.

'I was appalled by the situation the children were in. They were being led by a teacher totally out of her depth.'

He added: 'The weather in the mountains can change in a moment. They were possibly a rainshower from death.'

Judith Gillespie, of the Scottish Parent Teacher Association, said: 'This group probably have never experienced the Scottish mountains.

'The message to people in similar situations is they should look at where they are going. If they see a sign saying park, it is not Regent's Park.'

After the girls were walked off the mountain at about 8pm on Wednesday, they returned to their hostel in Nethy Bridge, eight miles from Aviemore.

John said they had been 'less than polite' when found.

Yesterday, as they boarded a train in Aviemore to return to London, they seemed unconcerned about the trouble they had caused.

The teacher, who has not been named, refused to comment and a number of girls surrounded her to shield her from photographers.

One shouted: 'It's no one's business. Get lost. Have you nothing better to do?'

Another said: 'We were a bit worried lost in the mist,but it cleared up. I don't see what the fuss is all about.'

A third girl added: 'This isn't exactly the kind of Highland welcome we were told about and expected. We haven't been treated very well.'

The school involved, Beth Jacob Seminary in Finsbury Park, north London, trains Orthodox Jewish women teachers.

The head, Rabbi Benyomin Dunner, said an inquiry would be held.

He added: 'This has been a very difficult time for all of us at Beth Jacob.

'Our normal procedures governing school trips were not in place. We apologise to parents and pupils. We are grateful to the rescue team.'


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I pity the girl who was caught with a mobile. She'll be kicked out.