Ched halts field trips, educ tours
ALL field trips and educational tours initiated by higher education institutions (HEIs) were suspended by the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) following a camping trip that ended into an accident that took 15 lives and injured 40 others last February 20.
"I will request the Commission en banc today to immediately issue a directive to all HEIs so we can properly investigate this tragedy and review current policies covering field trips," Ched Commissioner Prospero de Vera III said in a press statement issued yesterday.
Ched-11 director Raul Alvarez said he has not yet received the official memorandum that temporarily prohibits the conduct of school-sanctioned trips, adding that they will inform the schools in the city to abide with the directive once it will be handed down to their office.
A bus carrying 50 students from Bestlink College of the Philippies in Quezon City was travelling for a supposed medical and survival training in Tanay, Rizal as part of the National Service Training program (NSTP) when the vehicle rammed into an electric post on Monday, February 20, along Sitio Bayucan in Barangay
Sampaloc, Tanay.
According to Commissioner de Vera, the suspension will be effective until the investigation on the incident is completed. He added they have already instructed the officials of Bestlink College to submit an incident report to Ched National Capital Region (NCR) to determine if there were regulations violated and whether the policies and guidelines on educational tours and field trips were met.
He added the tragedy would serve as a "reminder that we must be very strict in regulating the use of public transportation for school sponsored trips."
De Vera also reminded the colleges and universities on the need to inform the Ched regional offices a month prior to the scheduled trip and to properly comply with requirements on safety including policies to protect students while acquiring the necessary knowledge, skills and values for their welfare and development.
"While it is true that field trips are essential to give students the opportunity to see and explore new things, enhance their learning experience in a natural setting, and provide for interest-driven and hands on training, the safety of the students on field trips must be ensured at all times by school authorities," de Vera added.