More precisely, fieldwork doesn't pay if you're a lawyer, it seems. Thanks to Nick Jones for spotting this in the Guardian.
A Freedom of Information Act investigation of local authorities by the Countryside Alliance [ CA ] – 138 responded – has found that of the very many individual school trips taken over the past 10 years, 364 ended in legal action. In fewer than half of these [ 156 ] however, were schools found to be culpable, and between 1998 and 2008, the total compensation paid out was £404,952 [ an average of £293.44 per year, per authority ]. Further details of the CA work can be found here.
Arising out of an enquiry carried out for them by the NFER in their Teacher Voice surveys, one of the points made by the Alliance is: "Whilst 85% of young people would like the chance to be able to enjoy activities like fishing, falconry and farm visits through school, only 46% of children actually had been on a trip to the countryside with their school in the past year." Curiously, this thirst for fishing, falconry and farms goes unreported in the Guardian: "A separate poll of 2,127 children aged six to 15 found that while 85% of young people would like more school trips, only 46% of children had been to the countryside with their school in the past year."
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