Authorities promise to make trips foolproof

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Going out on school trips is always fun, isn’t it? But recently when a school trip turned into a nightmare for nine-year-old Shivam Soni, who died in Mussoorie, the question of “adequate security” while on a school trip surfaced yet again. As schools encourage students to be a part of educational trips within India and overseas, what are safety measures that they feel are essential to avoid more such incidents in the future?
“Travel plans have to be well-organised and teachers must visit the hotel and the place they are staying a few days before the trip. When we consult a travel agent, we ask him the details about the place in particular, and ensure that we don’t take kids to any risky areas. I believe sending school representatives before the excursion is more important than mandatory,” says Neetu Goswami, principal, Prestige Convent School.
In addition to that, some schools prefer to keep the number of teachers in accordance with the number of students being taken on the trip. “We always keep more teachers, as per students. For every three students, we ensure there is one teacher. This helps in taking proper care of students. We also ensure that students have at least one teacher sleeping in the same room. School authorities have to be extra cautious when they take small kids out on trips,” says Anu Dhingra, a teacher from Evergreen Public School.
Youngsters, who often go on trips from college feel that even college authorities should be a little more careful while organising such outings. “On my last trip to Hong Kong, we were allowed to go around the city on our own, when a few guys ended up in a quarrel with the locals there. It wasn’t their fault, but I realised that it’s important to have authorities around even if you’re in college,” says Meetu, a student from a business management college.
But for some, students must be responsible for themselves when they are out on trips. “If you know your kid is mischievous, you must not send him to trips. Some kids are difficult to handle, if anything goes wrong they blame school authorities. So I suggest, if you are unsure about your kid, don’t send him on such trips,” says Neha Sharma, a school teacher (name changed on request).