A number of elementary schools and preschools canceled one-day field trips Tuesday amid growing concerns for the safety of students.
Many cancellations were prompted by parents who called for outdoor activities to be reconsidered.
“The school received numerous calls from parents asking (them) to cancel outdoor plans,” said an official at an elementary school in Dobong-gu, Seoul.
Some preschools called off one-day trips at the request of the teachers.
“(Teachers) decided to cancel the plans because other preschools were canceling trips,” said a preschool teacher in Gangseo-gu, Seoul.
The move came after the Ministry of Education announced Monday that it would temporarily ban certain types of school trips lasting more than a day during the first half of this year.
“Considering parents’ concerns over trips, it is not right to push for travel plans as scheduled,” the ministry said.
Education Vice Minister Na Seoul-il directed officials to overhaul
With other ministries, the Education Ministry will develop safety manuals in case students take ferries or flights.
It also said it would consider repealing large-scale school trips. For other outdoor activities, such as youth training programs, the ministry asked local education offices to discretionally decide on plans.
By Lee Hyun-jeong (
rene@heraldcorp.com)
