Teachers' union calls for end to school trips

School trips are under threat after a teachers' union advised their members to stop supervising pupils because they risk being blamed for any accident which might happen.

The NASUWT, Britain's second largest teachers' union, has told its 223,000 members: "Society no longer appears to accept the concept of a genuine accident."

Three NASUWT members have been blamed in recent years for the deaths of children. Paul Ellis was found guilty of manslaughter and is serving 12 months in jail after ignoring warnings and insisting a 10-year-old boy jump into a freezing stream in the Lake District.

Two others continued with a "river walking" expedition in the Yorkshire Dales despite obvious flooding after days of heavy rain and two girls died.

Although court action has only been taken against teachers in recent years when there has been gross negligence or reckless disregard of obvious risks, the NASUWT claims that accidents are not being treated as such.

General secretary Eamonn O'Kane said: "When something goes wrong the leader bears a legal responsibility, so the finger of blame will almost certainly point at the teachers.

"It is highly regrettable that we have been forced to advise members against taking school trips but our first responsibility must be to protect their interests."

However the biggest teaching union, the NUT, is taking a completely different view.

A spokesman said they "would not dream" of giving teachers such advice.

"School trips are such an integral part of children's education," they said. "They help to develop school spirit and promote good relations between pupils, teachers and the community. It would be a sad day if they ever stopped because teachers refused to lead them."

The NASUWT is also advising teachers not to drive a minibus on school trips and not to give children lifts in their own vehicles. It warns, too, that growing allegations of child abuse mean they should not put themselves in a "one to one" situation with a child.

Two years ago 11-year-old Bunmi Shagaya from Brixton drowned on a school trip to France. Teachers from Hill Mead junior school, Brixton, did not notice she had disappeared until they boarded a coach for the return journey.

Bunmi, a weak swimmer, had died feet away from her friends at the Caniel Lake resort near Dieppe. Relatives bitterly criticised supervision of the party.