Red tape protects pupils from pond life

22nd October 2004, 1:00am

Share

Red tape protects pupils from pond life

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/red-tape-protects-pupils-pond-life
Schools have to fill in 16 forms before children can go pond-dipping, an inquiry into outdoor education heard this week.

MPs were told that councils demand pages of paperwork for every visit, even though outdoor education centres have already been vetted for health and safety.

Andy Simpson, from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, revealed the number of forms that had to be filled before children could try the most “hazardous” activity at its centres - using small nets to look at wildlife in ponds.

The RSPB has now been asked to provide pound;15 million insurance cover for school visits to some of its 34 reserves in the UK where it runs a “living classrooms” scheme. Mr Simpson told MPs: “Short of an organised team of six golden eagles carrying out a child, which is unlikely, we don’t know when that would be necessary.”

Outdoor education organisers told the House of Commons education select committee that rising costs, bureaucracy, and the busy curriculum were putting many teachers off arranging trips.

Dr Anthony Thomas of the Real World Learning Campaign said: “Quite clearly we are mollycoddling our youngsters. If you over-protect, I think you are doing a disservice to young people. David Bell, the chief inspector of schools, said earlier this month that young people were being deprived of outdoor activities because teachers feared they might be sued.

But a survey by the Field Studies Council suggests that teachers say the principal reasons for not organising trips are the difficulty finding time in the curriculum, followed by costs and problems arranging supply cover.

Want to keep reading for free?

Register with Tes and you can read two free articles every month plus you'll have access to our range of award-winning newsletters.

Keep reading for just £1 per month

You've reached your limit of free articles this month. Subscribe for £1 per month for three months and get:

  • Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content
  • Exclusive subscriber-only stories
  • Award-winning email newsletters
Recent
Most read
Most shared