School Trips

From today's Education Post (Measures for trips tightened):

The English Schools Foundation has tightened its procedures governing school excursions after the death of a 17-year-old student on a field trip last year.

A coroner's court jury this week delivered a finding of accidental death in the case of King George V School student, Ivan Leung Ching-nam, who collapsed on a hiking trip in Sai Kung on September 21 last year. An autopsy report said the cause of death was heatstroke.

[..]

Under a new ESF policy, teachers leading a school trip are required to have completed first-aid training within the last three years, which was one of the jury's recommendations.

The document requires schools to complete a risk assessment of the activity, covering factors including the nature of the activity, weather conditions, students' medical conditions and physical capabilities. It instructs schools to follow weather warnings and sets different ratios of students to staff, depending on the activity and age of the children.

Under Education and Manpower Bureau guidelines, at least one staff member should have received first-aid training if the activity is exploratory, challenging or physically demanding.

My son is going on his first school camp later this month, and we have been sent a series of forms asking for information about allergies, medical conditions and medication, so I'm sure the ESF is taking this seriously.