Guidelines for education outside the classroom

12 October 2009

EOTC Guidelines - Bringing the Curriculum Alive – updated guidelines for education outside the classroom (EOTC) published

Opportunities for children to learn in and about their community and environment have been enhanced with the publication today of EOTC guidelines - Bringing the Curriculum Alive which will support teachers as they plan and deliver learning that extends the walls of their classrooms.

The guidelines update an earlier version to take account of current teaching and safety practices and aim to help teachers extend the classroom outdoors or into the community.

They show boards, principals and teachers ways to provide quality learning experiences that are as safe as possible for students and staff while meeting the legal requirements.

And they include more information on how to plan, manage and develop as well as the nuts and bolts of compliance. The resource includes an extensive tool-kit for EOTC management to assist schools to keep up with best practice.

Karen Sewell, Secretary for Education, launched the revised EOTC Guidelines at Wellington’s Thorndon Primary.

The audience of children, teachers, principals, education and outdoor sector organisations, writers, publishers and Ministry staff reflected the collaborative effort that has gone into the resource.

Karen Sewell said: ``New Zealand children are lucky as EOTC is a part of school life here, so they are able to enjoy some of the best open spaces in the world.

``These places, whether they are in the local area or in more remote regions, are not just playgrounds they are community and outdoor classrooms that can help develop our children’s learning experience.

``Using the wider community and environment in this way is very important. But of course, it is essential to ensure that those environments are as safe as possible.

``These guidelines will be a useful resource for teachers who want to help students learn safely when taking advantage of opportunities in the real world to support students’ learning.

``I would like to thank all those, principals, students, teachers, parents, and outdoor and education sector leaders who have helped develop this important resource.’’

The guidelines, which update the earlier Safety and EOTC: A Good Practice Guide for New Zealand Schools, were put together by an expert reference group from education and outdoor sector organisations.

Notes for editors

The revised guidelines:-
• support teaching and learning of the national curriculum, including The New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa

• align with Ka Hikitia – Managing for Success, the Pasifika Education Plan, and the Disability Strategy

• clarify schools’ responsibilities regarding Education Outside The Classroom

• provide ideas and examples of how legal requirements can be met and how to maximise learning and safety.

• The Ministry of Education brought together an expert reference group from education and outdoor sector organisations to give advice on all aspects of EOTC in 2002. This group played a key role in preparing the 2002 and the 2009 EOTC guidelines.

• Organisations represented on this group include the NZ Principals Federation, NZ School Trustees Association, Secondary Principals’ Council and Secondary Principals’ Association; NZ Mountain Safety Council, Water Safety NZ; Education Outdoors NZ; Outdoors New Zealand; SPARC; Skills Active; Department of Conservation; a Te Ao Māori expert and a practicing teacher.

ENDS

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