uses of technology: School trip red tape 'to be cut'

Monday, July 4, 2011

School trip red tape 'to be cut'

Ministers say school trips can broaden children's horizons

The government is publishing new guidelines for parents and teachers in England which it hopes will mean more children go on school trips.

The Department for Education has told schools and local authorities to ditch "unnecessary paperwork", and has cut its 150 pages of guidelines to eight.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said it would mean a "more common sense approach to health and safety".

And the Health and Safety Executive said it hoped to dispel legal "myths".

HSE chairman Judith Hackitt told the Daily Telegraph that health and safety was often being used as "scapegoat".

"The creeping culture of risk-aversion and fear of litigation... puts at risk our children's education and preparation for adult life," she said.

"Children today are denied - often on spurious health and safety grounds - many of the formative experiences that shaped my generation.

"Playgrounds have become joyless, for fear of a few cuts and bruises. Science in the classroom is becoming sterile and uninspiring."

Ministers said school trips could broaden children's horizons but fear of prosecution was too often used as an excuse not to organise them.

They said that in the past five years only two cases had been brought against schools for breaches of health and safety law on a visit.

The new guidelines clarify that written parental consent is not needed for each activity and encourage schools to use a new one-off consent form signed once when a child starts at a school.

Mr Gove said: "Children should be able to go on exciting school trips that broaden their horizons.

"That is why we are cutting unnecessary red tape in schools and putting teachers back in charge.

"This new, slimmer advice means a more common sense approach to health and safety. It will make it easier for schools to make lessons more inspiring and fun."

The Department for Education says the revised guidance:

Summarises the legal duties of head teachers, governing bodies and local authorities on health and safety, and covers activities that take place on and off school premisesMakes clear that a written risk assessment does not need to be carried out every time a school takes pupils on a regular, routine local visit, for example to a swimming pool or museumTackles "myths and teachers' fears about being prosecuted" by making the law clearerClarifies that parental consent is not necessary for pupils to take part in the majority of off-site activities organised by a school, as most of these activities take place during school hours and are a normal part of a child's education.

The National Union of Teachers has welcomed the move but said proper protection for staff and children should be maintained.

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