Students from Sunjung International Tourism High School in Seoul walk along the fir forest path of Woljeong Temple on Mount Odae in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, Wednesday. Yonhap

Nearly half of South Korean schools have cut back on traditional overnight field trips, driven by educators' growing fears of criminal liability if a student gets hurt.

According to a survey released Tuesday by the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, only 53.4 percent of elementary, middle and high schools organized overnight field trips over the past year. The remaining institutions opted for day trips (25.9 percent), conducted on-campus activities only (10.8 percent) or halted all experiential learning (7.2 percent).

The union polled 789 branch heads nationwide from March 23 to 30. The respondents represented elementary schools (41.95 percent), middle schools (27.76 percent) and high schools (23.07 percent).

When asked why they are reluctant to organize the trips, 89.6 percent of teachers cited fear of criminal liability if an accident occurs. Among them, 54.8 percent described the pressure as "very high." Additionally, 84 percent pointed to excessive administrative burdens and prior site inspections.

Charts generated by artificial intelligence demonstrate educators' heavy burden in planning school trips.

Although 72.2 percent of respondents said teachers’ opinions are reflected in the decision to proceed with the trips, a significant 35.5 percent reported they were forced to participate or felt burdened.

The union demanded a fundamental reorganization of the system. Representatives said the programs are perceived not as educational activities but as "high-risk, high-burden work."

The survey arrives as public attention focuses on how much these trips cost. On April 7, an online post revealed that a three-day trip to Gangwon Province for third-year middle school students cost 606,000 won ($410) per person, drawing criticism as too expensive for a domestic public school trip in Korea. The school ultimately canceled the trip after facing public backlash over the price.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

Source: Korea Times News