Nine out of 10 elementary school teachers in Korea hold negative views of field trips such as picnics and school excursions, a new survey has found. The legal burden placed on teachers when safety accidents occur was cited as the most significant factor.
■ 90% of Teachers "Very Negative"...Legal Anxiety at the Core
According to a survey conducted by the Korean Elementary School Teachers Union from Nov. 28-30 and released on Dec. 4, 96.2% of the 21,918 teachers surveyed expressed negative attitudes toward field trips.
In detail, 90.5% (19,827 teachers) said they were "very negative," while 5.7% (1,256 teachers) said they were "somewhat negative."
Only a small minority viewed field trips positively. Just 0.6% (138 teachers) reported feeling "very positive," and 1.5% (331 teachers) said they were "somewhat positive."
The leading reason for avoiding field trips was "anxiety over teachers' legal liability when safety accidents occur," at 49.8%. This was followed by "stress from handling parent complaints" at 37.0% and "excessive administrative tasks such as selecting venues, contracting, and settling accounts" at 12.4%.
■ "Immunity System Must Come First"...Teachers' Groups Urge Government
When asked what is most urgently needed to ensure the smooth operation of field trips, 92.5% of respondents called for "a firm institutional framework guaranteeing teachers' immunity when accidents occur."
"Mandatory deployment of safety personnel and support for staff assisting with student supervision" and "reduction of administrative tasks" each received 3.6% (795 and 794 teachers, respectively).
The Korean Elementary School Teachers Union said, "All educational activities, including field trips, are valuable opportunities for students to expand their learning. But to make this possible, institutional safeguards that prevent teachers from bearing unlimited responsibility for unforeseeable accidents must be established first." The union called on the government to "establish legal measures that fundamentally limit teachers' criminal and civil liability."
■ President Issues Direct Orders...."Don't Discard the Jar for Fear of Maggots"
Amid the growing controversy, President Lee Jae-myung instructed Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin at a Cabinet meeting at the former Blue House on Nov. 28 to address the issue, saying, "You shouldn't get rid of the soybean paste jar just because you're worried maggots might grow in it."
Regarding the decline in field trips, Lee said, "These days, students reportedly don't go on picnics or school excursions much anymore. There is learning that comes from group activities, and field experiences are also significant learning opportunities. But this trend is mainly driven by concerns about potential safety accidents or fears of being held accountable."
He added, "If there are problems with group lessons or activities such as picnics or school excursions, we should fix them. If it's a safety issue, we can provide funding to bolster safety personnel, and if teachers find lessons or supervision burdensome, we can hire additional staff to accompany them."
Two days later, at a meeting with senior secretaries, Lee emphasized, "Gather opinions from teachers, parents, and experts across all sectors on school field trips through an open discussion process," adding, "The Education Ministry and the Justice Ministry should review whether there are any unreasonable burdens in the area of teachers' legal responsibility and immunity."
"Who Would Go When You Could End Up in Prison?" No Money, No Memories
