SCHOOL trips could be threatened following controversial advice to teachers from representatives of a major teaching union.

The National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers (NAS/UWT), Britain's second-largest teaching union, has advised its members not to to take part in or organise school trips.

The comments from a member of the union's national ruling committee were this week echoed by Hertfordshire branch secretary Ian Gibson.

He said: "Our advice to members is to think very carefully before taking part in school trips. If anything goes wrong, regardless of who is at fault, it is more than likely the teacher will be blamed. We say the same about driving minibuses. Teachers are employed to teach, not drive."

In the past three years there have been 11 deaths on school trips and several other less serious incidents and near misses.

Mr Gibson said: "Ten years ago people accepted that accidents do happen, but today we're up against the repulsive compensation culture of lawyers chasing ambulances.

"Even trivial matters can cause problems for teachers. I know of one case where a girl left a shoe behind on a school trip and all hell broke loose with the parents."

But Mrs Janet Lewis, headteacher of Sandringham School in St Albans, said: "I do understand the attitude of the union, but I would be very saddened to see a reduction in school trips. No activity is 100 per cent risk-free."

May 7, 2003 15:00