LAST Monday’s bus tragedy which claimed the lives of 15 people, mostly students, and injured 40 others bound for a research field trip in a resort in Tanay, Rizal had led to questions on whether the advantages of educational tours outweigh the risks that come with going beyond the four walls of the classroom.
Responding to reports that some teachers required students to join field trips in order to get a passing grade, Cebu Provincial Board Member Christopher Baricuatro, chairman of the committee on education, cautioned teachers who are into the practice.
“Dili pwede na nga pag di sila mokuyog, ibagsak ang mga bata sa grades. Dili na pwede,” Baricuatro said.
(A student’s non-attendance of a field trip should not be a basis for failing him. That can’t be.)
Because field trips are by nature, voluntary, Baricuatro explained that was exactly why parents need to sign a waiver allowing their children to join.
“Di man na sila i-require kay naa may waiver papirmahon ang mga ginikanan. So kung ang ginikanan, di sila uyon ana, pwede pud sila dili mopirma aron dili mokuyog ang ilang anak. So discretion gyud na sa ginikanan,” he said.
(It’s not mandatory because there is a waiver that must be signed by the parents. If they don’t want their child to join the field trip, they can choose not to sign it. That way, it is always the discretion of the parents.)
On top of extra-precautions that should be taken in order to ensure the safety of the students during a field trip, Baricuatro said that parents, especially those of young students, should also join the educational tour if possible and be familiar with the trip’s itinerary.
Baricuatro said that while he is not against the holding of field trips to enable students to experience firsthand situations that cannot be taught inside the classroom, safety considerations must be of paramount importance.
“Kinahanglan gyud, numero uno nilang tan-awon is ang safety sa mga bata labi na manghuwam sila og mga bus kay importante man gud ang mga field trips,” he said.
(The safety of the students must be prioritized especially when they have to rent a bus for the trip. There are things that students can learn during field trips.)
A field trip moratorium was imposed by the Commission on Higher Education following the Tanay bus accident.