Field trips have always been an essential part of the educational system. In this, new concepts have emerged, thus making the process of learning closely associated with travelling. Experts in the field believe that students develop life skills in a fun and challenging way through educational trips that provide them with an opportunity to broaden their horizons. “Field trips aid in the development of skills in students as well as give students a chance to socialize with each other. They learn numerous things, such as, how to deal with different situations, plus they become more active,” said Dr. Sadik Dahlan, director general of Coral International School in Jeddah. Students are taken to academic and non-academic trips. The academic trips offer students deeper subject learning and an increased level of self-confidence. “Our education is usually based on textbooks. Students are taken on academic field trips that are planned in accordance with what is being taught in the classroom so that they can learn and easily relate their experiences. We hold discussions with the schoolteachers about what topic they are teaching so that we can organize a related field trip. For example, on the environment day, students were taken to a park,” said Dahlan, adding that students at his school have also visited colleges, universities, libraries, etc. Seconding Dahlan, Huda, principal of the Learning Oasis School in Riyadh, gave another example of subject-related academic trips. “Field trips related to science or social studies subjects are common. These include a trip to the zoo if the children are studying about animals,” she said. Non-academic trips allow the students to escape for a while their accustomed studying routine. Students are taken to malls where there is usually a small play land, where they can indulge in some physical activity that otherwise is limited due to the lack of parks and playgrounds in Jeddah. Students visit sports centers as well as nearby cities as part of their school trips. “Children at our school have virtually visited every new mall in the city, and are updated with different aspects of the place they visit, such as, its management, etc.,” said Dahlan, adding that other activities, such as, swimming, barbeque, etc., are also included in the field trips. Schools and other institutes, while organizing a field trip, make all the necessary arrangements, such as, obtaining the permission of the owners of the place they intend to visit. “Steps include securing permission from the appropriate authorities, organizing transportation to and from the location, and contacting the administration of the location to verify the schedule,” said Rahina Mukhtar, teacher and ‘trips coordinator' in Darul Al-Hekma International School, Jeddah. Most schools charge an amount for these trips as ‘miscellaneous fees' at the commencement of the new academic session or whenever the students are taken for trips. “We deduct these charges as miscellaneous fees from the overall fees of each student at the start of the academic year. These charges range between SR400 to SR1000, and we usually have three such trips in an academic year,” said Dahlan. Huda said the charges for a trip vary according to the location that has been planned. “For example, if that particular place charges SR10 per person, the school will charge SR15 per student, which includes the cost of the meals as well,” she said. Proper supervision is essential during all field trips to ensure that the children follow instructions and are safe. “For the children's safety, we divide them into batches according to their age, and these batches are then taken on trips on separate days. The ratio of the teacher to the students in one trip is 1:5, i.e., there is one teacher for every five students, plus there is a helper, a nurse and a supervisor. School buses wait outside the place incase of any emergency. The students are identified with a batch giving out the school's name, telephone number, etc., attached to their shirts,” said Huda. Despite all such precautions taken by the school prior to a field trip, some parents do not allow their children to be part of the trip as they say they fear about their children's security. “Parents want their children to learn, and thus allow them to go for trips. However, some parents are more skeptical and fear the possibility of any unseen accident during the trip. However mishaps are inevitable and their fear should not hinder their kid's learning,” said Khalil Rafique, an Egyptian father of three. Abeer Arif, a Saudi mother of two, said that because of the stories of lost children and bus accidents that she gets to hear so often, she fears losing her children due to similar incidents. “If parents trust the school and the trip place is safe, they must not hesitate to send their children as the teachers will take good care of them. Moreover, the children must be taught how to behave during such trips,” she said. – SGBest locations Some of the best places for school children to visit are the downtown Old Jeddah, and the mountains in Makkah that though aren't considered a very safe option for school children. Dahlan said that in the US, students visit places such as the police stations, etc. “It's a public mission we need to implement. Students should be taken to historical locations as there they will see what they have been learning for long,” he said. – SGTrip tales Hafsa Ahmed, a Pakistani student in the Learning Oasis in Riyadh, said that her school takes students on trips prior to exams and sometimes after it. “We have visited the Star City, few diplomatic quarters, museums and a cultural center. Such trips should be conducted so that we as expats can learn about the culture of the country in which we are living,” said Ahmed.
