Only three out of 10 elementary, middle and high schools in Seoul have held or plan to hold field trips this year, as experiential learning activities that had been recovering after COVID-19 are now rapidly shrinking.
According to data submitted by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education to Rep. Kim Moon-soo of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Education Committee, on the 4th, 407 out of 1,331 schools, or 31%, have held or plan to hold one-day field trips such as picnics in 2026.
The figure has fallen by more than half compared with 2023, when the normalization trend after COVID-19 continued at 86%, or 1,150 schools. The rate has since declined each year, dropping to 74% (984 schools) in 2024 and 58% (773 schools) in 2025.
By school level, middle schools had the highest implementation rate at 42%, while elementary schools and high schools each stood at 26%.
Overnight field trips, including school excursions, saw a steeper decline. As of 2026, only 242 schools, or 18% of the total, had planned overnight experiential learning programs, including training activities. By school level, middle schools led at 33%, followed by high schools at 28% and elementary schools at 3%.
Addressing the decline in field trips, President Lee Jae-myung said on the 30th of last month that "picnics and school excursions are also part of education," emphasizing that "if there are problems, they should be supplemented, not eliminated altogether." He added that field trips should be normalized through support measures such as expanding safety personnel.
The Ministry of Education plans to prepare field trip-related measures this month, including expanding the scope of immunity for teachers. "We will broaden the scope of immunity at a reasonable level and strengthen legal protection for teachers, reflecting opinions from education officials and legal experts," a ministry official said.
