Excursions give exciting educational experiences deeper than the regular school environment allows students have. This is because students leave their regular and known school environment to somewhere different and ‘new’. Excursion is an activity organised by the school during which students leave the school premises to engage in educational adventures. Some schools organise excursions every academic session while some engage in it termly.
While many parents see this as a time for a blend of both educational and entertainment activities, some others see excursion as simply a time of fun for the children. Mrs Esther Izevbizua a mother of two, says she sees it as a time for a mix of education and entertainment. “I always look forward to it. It is one thing I miss from my daughter’s former school. It’s part of their school calendar. They go on excursion every term. I have suggested it to their new school. They promised to include it next term. Excursion gives them exposure and knowledge about people, place and things. I encourage it.”
For Mrs. Julie Avanrenren, she thinks excursion is a blend of education and entertainment. She however said students should be separated according to their age groups before taken on excursion which is not usually done in her children’s school as her kids learn new things. “Excursion is not a waste of time and money. My children learn things whenever they go on excursion.”
Children separated by age groups makes it easier for children to learn when they go on excursions. This is due to the fact that they visit places they can relate with by age. A mum, Mrs Chioma Okpara noted that her children’s school take all students together to the same place. “I think the school should separate them according to age groups. I also think they learn during excursion. It actually broadens their knowledge.”
Another unpopular school of thought does not totally agree with the aim of excursion. Mr Femi Seun, a father of three, is one of the people who belong to the school of thought that says excursion is for fun. He said, “These schools just charge us for the children to change their environment once in a while. They take the children to places they can have fun and relax. So what can they possibly learn there? I pay because I don’t have the time to always take them out.” When asked what he thinks avoid age appropriate excursions, he said he couldn’t be bothered provided they are taken to a safe place and brought back in one piece.
According to Mrs. Comfort Smith, a school administrator, excursion is part of learning. It is a means to reinforce what the children have been taught. “Schools should make excursions termly and in line with something learnt that term. This way, they see what you have taught. In my school, we pick somewhere related to a History class or any subject for the term. The pupils are split into two; nursery and Primary sections and taken separately on excursion.”
When quizzed as to what parents’ responses are towards excursions, she said they include it in their termly fees so it’s not optional. “Parents need to learn the importance of excursion in academics. It is like the practical aspect of what they learn in school. No knowledge is a waste. These things will be useful to them sometime in the future or even presently.”
Mrs Smith also stressed on the need for schools to educate parents about the importance of excursion and also cease using it as a means to enrich the school purse.
Some schools even raise the bar higher by going on international excursions. Mrs Morenikeji Iromini, a school administrator at Cornerstone Schools, Ikotun Egbe, recently went with some of her students on an international excursion to London. One would wonder what prompted this move. Mrs Iromini said, “Most of our parents wanted international exposure as a lot of people within the Cornerstone family had not had the opportunity of crossing the borders of this country, let alone going across continents. At the Parents, Teachers Forum (PTF) meeting, some parents requested for a foreign trip in order to boost their children’s confidence, have an opportunity to experience the British lifestyle and compare with what we have back home, visit historic sites and fun places.”
Seeing that parents pushed for the international trip made it a little easier for the school. Wondering if the aim of the excursion was achieved, she was positive. “It was shocking that even the youngest of them all, could compare both systems. They learnt a lot and had so much fun. Shopping was also on our to do list. We did a lot of shopping where every child was accountable for every penny. This way, financial accountability was incorporated in the trip”, she added.
