School trips are not inherently risky in comparison to schools themselves

Posted: February 6, 2013

Posted in: Public Place Accidents School Accidents Sporting Injuries Wrongful & Accidental Death 

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is encouraging teachers to embrace outdoor activities after discovering that more accidents take place in schools than on trips.

Injuries from leisure activities show that children are far more likely to get hurt playing football or rugby at school than going on a school hiking trip, for instance.

Statistics also show that accidental deaths are very rare on school trips – with one child dying each year, on average, in the UK. These figures are set against the 7 – 10 million days of activity that the government estimates take place outside UK classrooms annually.

David Rushton, RoSPA’s head of education and leisure, said: “Yet there is a perception among some people that the risks and ‘red tape’ outweigh the benefits. This is simply not the case.“

“The focus for schools and colleges should be on how real risks are to be managed – and not on trivial, hypothetical risks, or on burdensome paperwork.”

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