About Field Trip Safety
Field Trips are school-related activities that take place away from school grounds. Districts owe the same duty of care and supervision to students who participate in field trips, whether mandatory or voluntary, as they do to students during the normal school day on campus. As a general rule, students are subject to a greater risk of injury while on a field trip than during a normal school day. The factors that contribute to greater risk may include being transported in a bus or private vehicle, walking along a busy street, and not following usual classroom and school procedures.
Many school districts require a teacher to complete a field trip application form and obtain parent permission for students to participate in a field trip. However, even a parent’s written permission may not absolve the district from liability if a student is injured while on a trip. The best defense on a field trip is adequate supervision.
Supervising students and enforcing school policies on campus requires great focus and effort on the part of both staff and administrators. School districts must realize that their policies need to be enforced in all school-related activities, regardless of where they occur. The purpose of this module is to discuss the various aspects of supervising students and avoiding potentially vulnerable situations during off- campus activities.