Every year, schools across different states offer students with the opportunity to go on field trips. Field trips are considered to be a beneficial factor in education. Field trips have both advantages and disadvantages. A field trip is a journey by group of people to a place away from their normal environment (Wikipedia). The main focus is school field trips for teenagers in high school. High school students tend to involve in certain activities like drugs, alcohol, premarital sex, and e.t.c. It is very important to prevent these situations. Although many argue that field trips should occur more often, it is very important to take actions against these issues to make field trips safe and exciting for the students. Many schools across different states have created policies related to school field trips. These policies are supposed to create discipline on the trips. Also, these policies are supposed to prevent situations like these but that is not the case usually. Even though there are policies, situations like these still occur quite often. To prevent these situations, it is important to modify the policies to make them even stricter.
Some may argue that field trips should occur more often because field trips have several advantages. Field trips are a great way of learning as it provides the students with real life experience and a better understanding of the real world. It allows them to get familiar with some real life issues and their solutions. It also allows them to collect information and resources on different matters. “This experience should clearly illustrate and enhance information taught by the curriculum” (Sanders). Field trips allow the students to understand the school curriculum better. For example, the nature field trip at the Texas A&M Outdoor Learning Lab in English II allowed the students to realize the importance of Mother Nature and, how the environment and its inhabitants live and interact with each other. This shows that field trips can help students get more information on what they learn in school, which can help them get better grades. “Many field trips combine educational content with team-building activities” (Sanders). This shows that the activities conducted at the field trips can help students develop unity and friendship among others. This allows the students to work in teams without any difficulties which is an important skill in the real life world. Field Trips allow the students to not think about their academics and relax their mind and body. This allows them to relieve stress and focus on other matters.
However, some may argue that field trips should not occur more often because field trips have several disadvantages. Field trips are incredibly hard to plan because “You must figure out transportation issues, chaperons (including background checks), food and alternate plans in the event of inclement weather, if the trip is to a location outdoors” (Sanders). Along with that, planning a field trip is very time consuming as you are required to do some paperwork including permission slips, liability forms, emergency contact information, and medical forms. The worst part about any field trip whether from the past or which would occur in future is behavioral issues. There have been many issues in the past regarding the carelessness of the staff members. In March 2015, around 40 students took a trip to New Orleans to perform in a jazz festival. After the district investigated, they found out that “male and female students had shared sleeping areas” (Cornwell). Later, the teacher admitted that the staff had “drank cocktails and glasses of wine, she also allowed female and male students in each other’s hotel rooms” (Cornwell). This clearly shows the carelessness of the staff members of the school. Along with the students, the teachers had also violated the school field trip policies and procedures by getting involved in alcohol during a field trip. This kind of behavior from the staff members is highly unacceptable because this encourages the students to also involve in prohibited things like drugs and alcohol. “In 1991, two students on the cross country team at Everett’s Cascade High died when they were separated from their classmates on a hike on Mount Dickerman” (Cornwell). This also shows the carelessness of the staff members because they are liable for any mishaps that occur on the trip as directed by the school policies for field trips. “In 2001, a boy who was allergic to peanuts died after he bit into a peanut-butter cookie in his school-provided lunch” (Cornwell). This also shows the carelessness of the staff members because they clearly did not go over the medical forms which inform the student’s medical conditions. “The students were staying overnight in Austin after playing a concert there, when James Dante Kings was found dead on an Austin freeway” (Chen). This shows that the staff members should have kept an eye on everyone as they are liable for everything. “Another teen student was recently killed after falling 100 feet from a viewing platform at the Capilano Suspension Bridge in Vancouver, Canada” (Chen). This also shows that the staff members should have supervised everyone as they are liable for everything.
The College Station ISD has a fair district policy for school field trips. Although this policy works, it is highly ineffective as some issues have arisen this year and in the past. The policy is divided into five sub-categories; supervision, medical emergencies, discipline policy, major infractions, and minor infractions. The supervision category states that, “A CSISD employee or parent will supervise and accompany the participants during all activities on the trip; Teachers and sponsors may utilize cell phones call and/or text messages to communicate with students regarding school-related business at any time during the length of the sponsored trip” (Appendix C). The medical emergencies category states that “In the event of an emergency medical situation the parent will be contacted as soon as possible. If the parent cannot be contacted the alternative emergency person will be contacted. The attached medical release form will be taken on the trip so that in an emergency situation appropriate medical attention can be sought immediately” (Appendix C). The discipline policy states that, “A curfew of 11:00 PM is standard for all overnight trips; Room checks will be conducted at curfew and as needed between the hours of 11:00 PM and 6:00 AM; Checks will consist of listening for noise coming from within the room and checking the halls within the vicinity for noise or attendees of the activity; The student and his/her parents will be expected to pay for any and all damage related to student behaviors that result in loss or damage to property; Students will be expected to follow CSISD dress code” (Appendix C). The major infractions category includes the major infractions, “The student is found outside the room after curfew; The student is found with any amount of drug, alcohol or tobacco products; A male is found in a female’s room or a female in a male’s room without permission from the chaperone and a chaperone is not present; Any student is physically fighting with another person” (Appendix C). The minor infractions category includes the minor infractions, “Tardiness to scheduled chapter meetings and report times; The student is out of dress code; Public displays of affection” (Appendix C). The CSISD Policy also includes a student/parent contract and a medical release form. In a recent interview, Patrick Powell, a teacher at A&M Consolidated High School in College Station, TX talked about a recent situation at the SkillsUSA District 7 Meet. From the past and present experiences, Powell emphasized “students bringing illegal substances to the meet”, and most of the times students “are not where they are supposed to be”, and they are usually “late” for contests (Appendix B1). Powell believes, incidents like these “reflects the programs, teachers, and the school” and hurts the “reputation” of the school (Appendix B1). Powell suggests, “action should be taken against bad students” rather than being lenient and letting them go which encourages them to repeat their actions (Appendix B1). In an another recent interview, Dianne Rister, a teacher at A&M Consolidated High School in College Station, TX said that previously students have been involved in “alcohol and drugs, going past curfew, and not sleeping all night” which conflicted with their contests (Appendix B2). Rister believes, the policies “need to be followed and should be stricter” because incidents like these “hurt the reputation of the school” (Appendix B2). Rister suggests that the staff members should “check student’s luggage and belongings, and room checks should be taken more seriously” (Appendix B2). A recent survey taken of students at A&M Consolidated High School in College Station, TX reveals that 55.3% of students have heard or experienced issues on a school field trip. Few of the issues the students listed were drugs, alcohol, bullying, students being loud, fights, students being where they are not supposed to be, people sneaking out of curfew, students will leave without telling anyone, and run down the hallways; 70.3% of students are not even aware of district policies for field trips. When asked about how effective are the policies for field trips, 31.9% rated the policies a 3, 31.9% rated the policies a 2, and 25.5% rated the policies a 1; 85.1% of students agreed that the district policies should be renewed to prevent incidents and bad situations (Appendix A).
The best way to prevent incidents and bad situations is to modify the district policies to make them stricter. Student’s luggage and belongings should be checked at each stop as they might buy items during a stay or an overlay. Room checks should be taken more seriously by taking more staff members on the trip. More staff members should be taken to the trip, and assign them specific roles and duties which could make the trip safer by preventing incidents and bad problems.