IOL CEO, Kaz Brush, served some excellent aces…. in her role representing the outdoor learning world on the All Party Parliamentary Group on Adventure and Recreation in Society[‘ARISc’].
Tuesday at the ‘Question Time’ event, Kaz sat with Bill Callaghan (Chair of the Health & Safety Commission), Chris Brown, NUT Representatives, Hilary Chittock (Girl Guiding UK) and Jerome Mayhew (Director of ‘Go Ape’). The questions were managed by broadcaster, education and adventure writer (and campaign supporter), Libby Purves.
Held in Committee Room 6, in the Palace of Westminster on the 30th January, this is “ARISc’s” fifth meeting since its launch (as ‘the political wing of the Campaign for Adventure’) by Sir Chris Bonington in November, 2005. It has sought to keep the profile of healthy risk taking on the radar of the government and of parliamentarians, achieving this through legislation, lobbying and debate throughout parliament. Each meeting is held to a strict hour by the pressure on meeting rooms and parliamentarians’ diaries.
The aim of the event was to answer the question ‘Why are teachers, youth workers and volunteers still afraid of litigation?’ The subsidiary questions were “Does the Compensation Bill do enough?” “What shall we do about this loss to our nation?”. Answers were swift and often emotive, and debate thrived. For accuracy and true flavour, the following are a series of comments made during the debate.
“Is there any adventure left in our society?”
“We all need Professor Heinz Wolff’s ‘Vitamin R’ it is as vital to life like Vitamin C.” [Heinz was a previous presenter to ‘ARISc’.]
“Well managed risk is very important – but we must have risk if we are to learn to manage it.”
“There has not been a growth in the compensation culture, but there has been in risk aversion. These are two separate, but not unconnected, things. Public perceptions are awry.”
“Teachers, Youth Workers and Volunteers act as though there might be someone suing, although it is very unlikely. Millions of activities are going on every day with no problem. Those who use litigation as an excuse need to think again.”
“Outdoor Learning has to be fit for purpose: if it is environmental it is one thing, sport it is another, adventure another and residential another; of course it can be multi-focused in which case it has many objectives to meet.”
“We must stop those who are over-covering burocratic backs – in public, private and charitable operations. Such behaviour is costing money, enterprise and effectiveness. We can do much better – hence last year’s Compensation Bill.”
“The HSC advocates a simple way of seeing what the real risks are – nothing too detailed and if possible not tick-boxes. Common sense is real.”
“We need to re-celebrate the Compensation Bill – ARISc will give it an anniversary!”
“It is the job of growing up to test oneself – to test, find, raise one’s limits – socially, physically, intellectually, spiritually and so on. Education is about facilitating all this – if we fail to do so, have we an education system at all?”
“We need to get all those concerned with the problems here together and sort it all out.”
“Insurance companies should not settle out of court – it gives people the wrong idea.”
“Parents expect absolutely nothing to happen, however great the experience – they complain if a child comes home muddy!”
“Teachers do not get sued, LEAs & Schools do, but rarely and fault is found rarely. The courts are not stupid, but the system causes great strife: this must be minimised with balanced understanding and outcomes.”
“Learning is vastly increased through adventure-based [high-arousal] learning. It is a gift of creative and adventurous teachers to learners to ensure excitement.”
“Old experience, is by definition not learning; children need new experiences - awe and inspiration are called for in our education: we must protect those who provide it.”
‘ARISc’ has three ‘Co-Chairs’, Julian Brazier TD MP (Cons.), Lembit Opik MP (LD) & Derek Wyatt MP (Lab.) indicating its broad cross party support from its 140+ membership across the houses; Earl Erroll & Lord Rea are Secretary and Treasurer respectively. ‘ARISc’ is ‘Clerked’ by IOL member Ian Lewis who co-ordinates ‘Campaign for Adventure’. To take the suggestions made during this meeting forward as a part of the campaign, a one day meeting has been arranged in February at St George’s House, Windsor Castle, where the next phases of the campaign will be planned.
Ian Lewis CfA - 0845 345 7423
www.campaignforadventure.org
Dated 060207/cfa
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