Field Trips And Excursions: Safety Tips For Your Child

'35 rescued after boat with 40 school students on board capsizes near Maharashtra's Dahanu'- Times Of India, 13 January, 2018

'4 Kan. elementary school students injured in field trip mishap' - Hutch Post, 14 April, 2017

Indeed, as a parent, when you read these headlines, they are bound to make you wary of allowing your child to go on school trips. But, field trips are not a minefield for accidents. They are fun, educational and often prove to be a life-changing experience for children.

In fact, field trips and outdoor excursions are vital for a child's all-round growth and development. A field trip may be to a neighbouring garden or a playground or even to a faraway place. The main purpose of a field trip is to provide children learning experiences through practical training. Through these trips, children get the opportunity to observe subjects and situations in real time, which provides a better understanding of what they have studied in theory so far.

Apart from the academic benefits, during a field trip, your child learns about team work and gets hands-on experience on how to deal with real-life situations. Most importantly, children develop a broader perspective about how things work.

As important as a field trip is, as a parent, it is important to keep in mind the safety of your child during an outdoor excursion. It is necessary to take preventive steps and talk about them with her teacher before she goes on the school trip. Here are a few safety-checks you should talk to the school about, before the trip:

Talk to the teachers

1. Get the details: Note down all the details of the trip. From the number and make of the vehicle your child would be travelling in, the teachers who would accompany her, to the type of place she would be visiting and the security measures taken by the school - you should be aware of all these details beforehand.
   
2. Check for hygiene: The food provided to the children on the trip should be hygienic and be prepared in healthy conditions. If the location is a camping site, talk to the teacher about the precautions that will be taken while preparing and storing the food.
   
3. Check for medicinal facilities: Ask the school about how well they are equipped for medical emergencies and if they have a first aid kit in place.
   
4. Talk about on-site security: A hilly region or a site overlooking a valley or a place with a large water body are where accidents can happen. Talk to the school about the precautions they have taken to avoid untoward incidents.
   

Talk to your child

As parents, you should also take preventive measures to ensure that your child is safe on the excursion. Talk to your child about the following safety measures:

1. Following instructions: Ask your child to listen to all the instructions given to him from the beginning of the trip to the end. These instructions may relate to how to get off the bus, when to report, or how to behave on the trip.
   
2. Talking to strangers: You should carefully explain to your child to neither talk to strangers nor accept anything from them.
   
3. Staying in groups: Talk to your child about always staying in groups and in sight of her teacher. If she is curious about venturing further to observe something, she must always ask permission from the teacher and request to be accompanied.
   

A field trip is an experience of a lifetime for your child and to make sure it is a memorable one, you must discuss concerns you have about the trip with the school, to ensure his safety. Encourage him to accompany his classmates on the excursion and give him safety tips to follow on the field trip. He is sure to have a great time.

Krishna Thakkar, part of Safecity's Writers Movement, is a BLS student from Pravin Gandhi College of Law.

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