Getting young people out of the classroom

ENGLAND – More children and young people will be able to go on educational school trips thanks to new measures slashing red tape and giving teachers more support, children’s secretary Ed Balls and children’s minister Kevin Brennan have announced.

The Out and About package, launched earlier this month and backed with £4.5 million (NZ$12.87 million) of funding, is designed to give schools much clearer information to organise effective learning outside the classroom activities for all pupils.

It includes a new Quality Badge scheme which will cut paperwork for teachers by helping schools and local authorities to identify organisations that provide high quality experiences and manage safety effectively.

Mr Balls said learning outside the classroom – whether within school grounds, locally and on visits further afield or even abroad – should be part and parcel of every child’s school career.

But he said it was wrong to deny children valuable learning opportunities or wrap them in cotton wool because of risk assessment paperwork or fears over compensation culture.

And he stressed it was time to allay teachers’ fears about litigation over incidents on school trips once and for all.

“Learning outside the classroom is not some optional extra. It should excite young people, deepen their understanding of classroom subjects and is vital for young people to become independent, confident and motivated,” Mr Balls said.

“The vast majority of England’s eight million children go safely on school trips or learn outside the classroom at some stage. But we know that more can be done to make sure it is an integral part of every child’s education.

“This package makes a clear case for the benefits of learning outside the classroom. It is a massive step forward to making it easier for teachers to take pupils out of the classroom – giving them the confidence and tools to organise outside the classroom environment; cutting paperwork and red tape on visits; and breaking down the fear of litigation.”