The hassle


Primary schools can get out more easily than secondary schools, as the latter have to deal with a more complicated timetable which is split into subjects. Joan, a learning support teacher in a Fife secondary, recalled the difficulties she encountered at every turn when she planned to take out a class of 15-year-olds.


First of all, the pupils had to be persuaded to go. Then the rector baulked at the number of teachers the plan involved. The bus company ramped up the previously agreed price on threat of cancelling. Joan also had to learn how to deal with a diabetic, and expert support at the site vanished at the last minute. This is just a snapshot of the sorts of problems that can present themselves. “It’s only by addressing these difficulties that the move to outdoor work will grow,” she commented. “Primary school is very different and, in terms of organising time out, it may be a lot simpler. But I still think our pupils benefited from the day and will continue to benefit. “The class will be shaped as a result of their shared experience, and the English and social subject departments may begin to think more about developing an outdoor learning curriculum.”


By comparison, primary teacher Anne didn’t have anything to say about pre-visit organisational hassles when she took her class on a trip to her local nature reserve. “Despite my initial concerns about the location, with some narrow paths and steep gullies, the children negotiated the woodland walk with no problems,” she remarked.


3


2


30


The Nature of Scotland


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68