Green light for school trips as red tape is cut

Guidance for teachers wishing to organise learning opportunities outside the classroom has been revised by the Department for Education, delighting the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC), a national campaign to get children out and about more often. Around 150 pages of guidance have been cut down to just eight pages, aiming to reduce the burden on schools and make it easier for teachers to take children outside the classroom for learning. The main concerns have, as before, been around health and safety issues. In November 2010, a report by Opinion Matters concluded that 89% of teachers believed that government legislation hindered their planning of school trips. CLOtC Chief Executive Beth Gardner said: “Misinterpretation of health and safety rules has resulted in many teachers being scared to take children outside in the school grounds, let alone beyond the school gates. The new guidelines clarify the legal responsibilities relating to taking children outside the classroom, which are seldom as onerous as teachers expect.” Education Secretary Michael Gove said: “Children should be able to go on exciting school trips that broaden their horizons.”