No school trips to hills, beaches in UAE

Sharjah - The schools have been told to organise scientific visits that relate to subjects taught.

 Following complaints from parents, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has banned private schools across the country from taking students on trips to beaches, mountains, water parks and malls. The ministry said the directive has been issued for safety reasons.
The MoE issued circulars to this effect have been distributed in Sharjah schools by the Sharjah Education Zone.
The schools have been told to organise scientific visits that relate to subjects taught. Parents' approvals for the trips are must, schools were told.
The circular also states that teachers organising the trip must explain to parents the purpose of the trip and how the student will benefit from it.
The trip must be part of the subject and part of the academic day and attendance of the student is important for his learning. The circular also determined that the trip days must be on Sundays and Thursday for female students and Monday and Wednesday for boys.
The regulation also includes that the school bus taking students to the trip must not stop at petrol stations, commercial outlets or restaurants to buy food for students. The teachers must plan the trips and ask students to carry their food. Scientific trips must be held only thrice during the academic year. At least two supervisors must accompany 30 students.
Official at the Sharjah Education zone urged schools in Sharjah to follow the MoE regulation and organise trips in coordination with subject teachers who believe the trips would help in student learning.
Rabab Bader Al Deen, a teacher at private school in Sharjah, said that the trips are organised base on requests from students who feel they need a change and time out from routine classes.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com
 What the law says
>  Schools should organise scientific visits that relate to subjects taught
> Parents' approvals for school trips are a must
> Attendance of the student is important
> Sundays and Thursdays earmarked for female students;  Mondays and Wednesdays for boys
> School bus must not stop at petrol stations, commercial out-lets or restaurants to buy food
> The scientific trips must be held only three times during the academic year
> At least two supervisors must accompany 30 students.

• UAE