As field trips are rapidly disappearing from Korean elementary schools amid safety concerns and parental complaints, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea has signaled its intent to address the situation through institutional reform.
"These days, elementary school students are unable to go on field trips. Only 64 percent of elementary schools nationwide have field trip plans, and in Seoul, the figure is just 26 percent — only one in four schools," Kim Han-gyu, the Democratic Party's chief deputy floor leader for policy, said at the party's policy coordination meeting at the National Assembly on Tuesday. "This is due to complaints on site and liability issues when safety accidents occur." He added, "Children's opportunities for cognitive and social growth should not disappear because of adults' complaints and liability concerns."
According to the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union (KTU), current teachers harbor considerable anxiety about bearing legal responsibility should safety accidents occur during field trips. In a survey conducted last month by the KTU of 789 branch chiefs nationwide, 89.6 percent of respondents said they "feel burdened by the possibility of criminal liability in the event of an accident." Cost concerns have also been raised. A middle school recently set a 600,000 won ($430) budget for a school trip to Gangwon Province but canceled the plan after public criticism mounted.
"The Democratic Party will work with the Ministry of Education to establish basic standards guaranteeing school educational activities and ensure that responses to malicious complaints are handled by schools or education offices rather than individual teachers," Kim said. "Through substantive institutional improvements, including ensuring the effectiveness of the field trip immunity system, we will create an environment where schools, parents and students can all feel at ease going on field trips."
He went on to stress, "Education is not just about children studying at school. Adults have a responsibility to create an environment where children can run and play with friends on the playground and broaden their horizons through diverse hands-on activities."
