Save Outdoor Education
If there is no change to guidance the sector's 15,000 jobs are at risk and over half the UK's outdoor education capacity will be permanently lost. We need your help to save outdoor education and protect this vital educational, community and cultural asset for this and future generations of schoolchildren.
SIGN THE PETITION TO SAVE OUTDOOR EDUCATION HERE
Objective
The Government have committed to review the guidance advising against residential outdoor education in November. Whilst we participate in the Review, we are aiming to build political support to ensure that guidance and our sector is reopened in time for the 2021 season.
Impact
Our sector is one of a few that has been prevented from any meaningful economic activity. The Government's decision not to consider reopening prior to January 2021 has already resulted in over 3,000 job losses, with 3,000 more expected before the end of the year. Over half of the sector's capacity could be permanently lost. The sector has lost over £500m in revenue since the lockdown. Children across the country have been housebound, especially within cities, and are missing out on vital and formative outdoor educational experiences.
Safety
Our sector is built on health and safety. We have developed extensive COVID-safe protocols that allow the sector to meet and exceed all relevant Government guidance. The sector has taken extraordinary steps to ensure services are delivered with appropriate social distancing, high hygiene levels and as an extension of school bubbles – the key Government policy – whilst providers have offered a range of further protective measures including staggered arrivals and dining and activities, amended activities, reduced capacity accommodation, increased staffing.
Value
The benefits of outdoor education are widely researched and documented, with residential visits widely recognised as the most impactful. Outdoor education is the moment that changes many children's lives, across the country regardless of background. It brings children in touch with the great outdoors, promoting a love of nature, a sense of adventure and developing social and teamwork skills.
For many children, in cities or towns, the outdoors and the countryside can feel a life away. Outdoor education brings children into a different environment that can provide exceptional educational benefits beyond the classroom and change lives.
How can you help?
We need your support to show Government the damage it is doing to such an important educational asset.
- Please write to your local MP, using the template provided below, and encourage them to support the save outdoor education campaign by writing to Gavin Williamson, Secretary of State for Education.
- Invite your MP to visit your centre to see first-hand the effects of the guidance.
- Please do use the #saveoutdoored on Twitter or Facebook.
- Please remember to refer any national media enquiries to media@ukoutdoors.org.uk
[xx] October 2020
[Name]
[Address]
Dear [Mr/Ms] [Surname],
Save Outdoor Education – We need your support
The outdoor education sector is facing an existential threat. Vital outdoor education centres and providers across the UK have been closed since March, preventing access now and threatening the future of these formative educational experiences for schoolchildren. While the Government continues to advise against overnight educational visits the future of outdoor education - a great British tradition - is hanging by a thread.
As a local MP to [insert name of site], which [fill in threat/risk], we would welcome your support in asking Government to see sense and avoid the decimation of outdoor education in the UK by reopening the sector.
The sector has met and exceeded all relevant Government guidelines and is set up to deliver as an extension of the school bubble policy that Government have deemed safe to operate. Furthermore, sectors such as boarding schools, who provide an almost identical service as bubbles, continue to operate. This is unnecessary and nonsensical guidance that will lead to a significant loss of jobs as well as an important economic, social and educational contributor.
The Government's decision not to consider reopening prior to January 2021 has already resulted in over 3,000 job losses, with 3,000 more expected before the end of the year. Over half of the sector's capacity could be permanently lost. The sector has lost over £500m in revenue since the lockdown.
We stand to lose a vital £700m education industry with over 15,000 jobs while a simple and COVID-safe solution is in place and other similar industries operate. We have continuously reassured Government that it is safe to operate, meeting and exceeding all relevant Government guidelines.
Collectively, the sector has developed robust COVID-safe guidelines for providers as well as a detailed COVID protocols handbook for Government and public health authorities. The sector has undertaken to ensure services are delivered with appropriate social distancing, high hygiene levels and as an extension of school bubbles – the key Government policy. Whilst providers have offered a range of further protective measures including staggered arrivals and dining and activities, amended activities, reduced capacity accommodation, increased staffing. These measures are already in use across the sector and working effectively with other customer groups that are not impacted by Government advice.
We have warned the Government in the strongest possible terms that any decision to prevent residential trips for the rest of the academic year, without support, will permanently close the whole sector. The Government and the Secretary of State for Education have an opportunity to act, protecting the industry and getting children back into safe and excellent educational settings.
We would be delighted to meet with you and your team or welcome you to your local centre to see the issues and challenges we are facing first hand. We would also greatly appreciate your support in pushing Government to reopen our sector through any representation you can make to the Department for Education via a letter, parliamentary question or written question.
This is urgent. A whole sector of education is at risk. Please join our campaign to Save Outdoor Education. We hope we can count on your support.
Yours sincerely,
[Name]
[Job title]