Why Are School Trips Important?

Posted by in Learning Outside The Classroom

What Is A School Trip?

Education is an important part of developing as person, and there are many ways of this happening. School takes up a large chunk of a child’s life and is where a lot of fundamentals are taught and a child develops the initial knowledge base where they will form their ideas from and a thirst for learning.

School trips are a way of augmenting the learning process, by taking your children outside of their usual classroom environment and getting them to have a different learning experience. A school trip can be anything, from a trip into the local area to familiarise them, with the world around them; a place of interest of relevance to the subject that they are learning; or even something like a foreign exchange where they get to immerse themselves in a different culture.

The Importance Of School Trips

Some of the reasons that school trips have a huge importance include:

–          Building For Later Life – one really useful way of building n later life skills is to have a school trip abroad or even a residential one. If you have links with a foreign school you can have an exchange to immerse students in a different culture. If not an exchange then a school trip abroad lets the class see new places, and try different things that are not options at home.

–          Behaviour – although there’s a certain risk element in taking children with behavioural problems on a school trip, research has also showed that it can have a positive effect to put them  in an environment that is different and potentially far more stimulating.

–          Improved Attendance – it has been suggested by research that a school trip improves a child’s attendance, as it incentives them into more participation in the education process. By offering a method of learning that seems more engaging, then truancy levels can be cut.

–          Context – taking students on a school trip to a relevant attraction or establishment that is related to the subject that you are discussing can be a huge step towards helping them get a better grasp of the subject material.  For example, somewhere like Eden Camp looks to recreate world war two, whereas a science centre contextualises science that can’t be done in a classroom.

Where Is The Best Place To Take A School Trip?

There is no right or wrong way to go about arranging a school trip. The important thing to remember is that you are trying to help the children you are responsible for grow and develop. Therefore the school trip that you want to take them on needs to have a benefit to them. However it is also worth considering that as the term comes to an end a school trip can just be about having a good time and letting everyone get the most of their time together – especially if they are soon to be leaving.

If the school trip is for a specific subject then you need to consider attractions that have a bearing on the subject matter, but will also hold the attention of the students, as unruly students that are being taught irrelevant things will paint the school in an unfavourable manner.