Government cuts red tape around school trips
Geraldine Kendall, 20.07.2011
But MA survey reveals devastating cuts to museum education
The government has issued updated guidance to schools aiming to cut red tape and make it easier for schools to take children on educational trips to museums and other organisations.
Misinterpretation of health and safety rules had been blamed for a drop in educational visits in recent years.
In order to dispel worries and encourage more learning outside the classroom, the Department for Education cut 150 pages of guidance down to eight pages.
The move was welcomed by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC), an independent charity representing schools and organisations with an interest in external learning.
Beth Gardner, the chief executive of CLOtC, said: “The new guidelines clarify the legal responsibilities relating to taking children outside the classroom, which are seldom as onerous as teachers expect.”
The CLOtC said organisations can also cut bureaucracy around educational visits by participating in the LOtC Quality Badge Scheme, which identifies accredited venues that offer good quality educational services and effective risk management.
Maurice Davies, the Museums Association’s head of policy, said the government plans could prove beneficial to museums. He said: “This sounds like good news.
"It always felt faintly ridiculous to me that schools had to undertake extensive risk assessments before taking children to museums and galleries – they must be some of the safest environments in the whole world.”
But the move comes as an MA survey of cuts to UK museums revealed that education departments across the country have been severely curtailed by staff reductions.
According to the survey, over half of the museums facing a budget reduction have cut staff in this area, making it one of the services worst affected by overall funding cuts.
In addition, much of the learning work in museums is supported by schemes such as Renaissance in the Regions and Strategic Commissioning, which are also facing budget cuts.
To find out more about the LOtC Quality Badge Scheme, click here
To read more about the MA survey on museum cuts, click here
Misinterpretation of health and safety rules had been blamed for a drop in educational visits in recent years.
In order to dispel worries and encourage more learning outside the classroom, the Department for Education cut 150 pages of guidance down to eight pages.
The move was welcomed by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC), an independent charity representing schools and organisations with an interest in external learning.
Beth Gardner, the chief executive of CLOtC, said: “The new guidelines clarify the legal responsibilities relating to taking children outside the classroom, which are seldom as onerous as teachers expect.”
The CLOtC said organisations can also cut bureaucracy around educational visits by participating in the LOtC Quality Badge Scheme, which identifies accredited venues that offer good quality educational services and effective risk management.
Maurice Davies, the Museums Association’s head of policy, said the government plans could prove beneficial to museums. He said: “This sounds like good news.
"It always felt faintly ridiculous to me that schools had to undertake extensive risk assessments before taking children to museums and galleries – they must be some of the safest environments in the whole world.”
But the move comes as an MA survey of cuts to UK museums revealed that education departments across the country have been severely curtailed by staff reductions.
According to the survey, over half of the museums facing a budget reduction have cut staff in this area, making it one of the services worst affected by overall funding cuts.
In addition, much of the learning work in museums is supported by schemes such as Renaissance in the Regions and Strategic Commissioning, which are also facing budget cuts.
To find out more about the LOtC Quality Badge Scheme, click here
To read more about the MA survey on museum cuts, click here
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