RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

February 5, 2008
PLAN TO CUT SCHOOL TRIP RED TAPE WELCOMED BY RoSPA

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has welcomed today’s news from the Government that red tape which stops teachers from taking children on school trips is to be slashed.

Tom Mullarkey, the Chief Executive of RoSPA, said: “This is a major step in the right direction towards simplifying regulation and reducing bureaucracy.

“The important thing is that children have a safe and excellent learning experience and any impediment to that objective needs to be revisited. Teachers need support and guidance, not endless, unnecessary form-filling. This initiative will be widely welcomed in staff rooms throughout the country.”

The measures to make it easier for teachers to take pupils out of the classroom were announced in the Staying Safe action plan launched by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Among the proposals is a quality “badge” scheme for places such as museums, field study centres and historic houses, which would help reduce the bureaucratic burden on teachers by letting them know which ones manage safety effectively.

RoSPA believes school trips are a vital part of the learning experience. They can help children to understand and manage risks, and everything possible should be done to encourage them.

Simple measures the charity recommends schools to take include: ensuring teachers have the necessary competence and skills to lead the trip they are planning; involving young people in the risk assessment process; ensuring parents are fully aware of what is planned so that they are happy their children will want to participate; making sure what they actually do is relevant to the learning experience (not making last-minute decisions to introduce new activities which have not been properly thought through); and having a plan B and plan C in case circumstances (eg weather, travel arrangements) alter while on the trip.

Tom Mullarkey also welcomed the proposals for a new Child Safety Education Coalition. “A coalition of organisations with an interest in this field will provide a valuable and unique forum for child safety education,” he said.

“It will help teachers, parents, carers and young people to develop a better understanding of how children can keep safe while enjoying the challenges that support their healthy development.

“We need to promote a culture where things are ‘as safe as necessary’ not ‘as safe as possible’. Restricting children unnecessarily will not help them to cope confidently in later life.”