Sounds like a nightmare, though it wouldn't be so bad if they were quiet adults that have manners etc. In my experiance it is always screaming children (I have even had a child push me to get a spot whilst I was trying to take a photograph).
How to improve school party visits
- Thread starter Goretex
- Start date
Sounds like a nightmare, though it wouldn't be so bad if they were quiet adults that have manners etc. In my experiance it is always screaming children (I have even had a child push me to get a spot whilst I was trying to take a photograph).
As a teacher, I never see school parties at zoos - unless I take one myself - and I haven't done that for many years as I teach older students now 
. But you have to think of these things from a teacher's point of view too. You want everyone to get some educational value out of the visit, but you know that most of your students just want a day out of school.
Many years ago I took my class of 13-year old Essex kids around Regent's Park and made myself very unpopular with them by insisting that they looked at some of the animals and listened to what I was saying about them - they just wanted to spend the day spending money in the gift shop and eating ice cream. Whipsnade was a better trip, more room for them to let off steam and fewer people to annoy: but I was very worried that someone would get lost and fail to get back to the coach on time (this was long before the days of mobile phones).
I'm not a fan of safari parks, but they are much better for school trips, because the alternative to staying on the coach is getting eaten by the lions, and that cools over-adventurous spirits. Then there's the gift shop and ice cream area for afters, which is a reasonably happy medium from a teacher's point of view.
Alan
. But you have to think of these things from a teacher's point of view too. You want everyone to get some educational value out of the visit, but you know that most of your students just want a day out of school.Many years ago I took my class of 13-year old Essex kids around Regent's Park and made myself very unpopular with them by insisting that they looked at some of the animals and listened to what I was saying about them - they just wanted to spend the day spending money in the gift shop and eating ice cream. Whipsnade was a better trip, more room for them to let off steam and fewer people to annoy: but I was very worried that someone would get lost and fail to get back to the coach on time (this was long before the days of mobile phones).
I'm not a fan of safari parks, but they are much better for school trips, because the alternative to staying on the coach is getting eaten by the lions, and that cools over-adventurous spirits. Then there's the gift shop and ice cream area for afters, which is a reasonably happy medium from a teacher's point of view.
Alan
and the younger members all go "before mobile phones??! What?"gentle lemur said:
Gigit
Well-Known Member
You have confirmed my suspicions about these visits.
I think primary school children (who are always escorted in my local zoo) do gain something and generally show an interest in animals. However, in my experience, unsupervised groups of secondary school children don't. They might be interested as individuals but peer pressure takes over. Maybe teachers are used to their behaviour and don't realise the effect it has on other visitors and, more importantly, the animals.
I could say stop pretending that education is involved and take the children somewhere more appropriate, but I know this won't happen as Education is a legal requirement of British zoos, and they need the income. So I suggest that the CRB approved adults who came on the coaches with the children leave the restaurant and check up on their charges. And that identifiable zoo volunteers lurk in 'trouble spots'.
And I'll keep gritting my teeth and counting to 10. Oh, the joys of Other People's Children
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Panthera Puss
Well-Known Member
Generally speaking school groups at my zoo are pretty good and they do take an interest on the tours (unsupervised can be worse of course). A lot depends on the teachers keeping discipline; if they really misbehave, they're out of the door. Around 10 is probably an optimum age, when they're old enough to be interested but the teen sulks haven't kicked in. One of the less interested groups I had were A level Biology students (with 1 or 2 noble exceptions) which was quite poor on their part. Language school students had to be banned for a while, their behaviour was so bad. But a LOT of kids of all ages are absolutely fascinated by the animals to be fair.
One thing you can do is to give them some sort of emotional & intellectual investment in the trip - if they make enrichment at school then see it given to the animals (for instance) it's obviously more involving, and you can sneak some learning in by the back door, so to speak, by telling them why the animals are behaving towards the enrichment items in certain ways.
One thing you can do is to give them some sort of emotional & intellectual investment in the trip - if they make enrichment at school then see it given to the animals (for instance) it's obviously more involving, and you can sneak some learning in by the back door, so to speak, by telling them why the animals are behaving towards the enrichment items in certain ways.
I agree with what you've said here Gigit. To be honest do unsupervised secondry school children really gain anything from zoos? I think they should make it a rule that all children of all ages MUST BE SUPERVISED!!!You have confirmed my suspicions about these visits.
I think primary school children (who are always escorted in my local zoo) do gain something and generally show an interest in animals. However, in my experience, unsupervised groups of secondary school children don't. They might be interested as individuals but peer pressure takes over. Maybe teachers are used to their behaviour and don't realise the effect it has on other visitors and, more importantly, the animals.
I could say stop pretending that education is involved and take the children somewhere more appropriate, but I know this won't happen as Education is a legal requirement of British zoos, and they need the income. So I suggest that the CRB approved adults who came on the coaches with the children leave the restaurant and check up on their charges. And that identifiable zoo volunteers lurk in 'trouble spots'.
And I'll keep gritting my teeth and counting to 10. Oh, the joys of Other People's Children
It's shocking that the teachers take such little responsibility for their children they teach.
I agree with what you've said here Gigit. To be honest do unsupervised secondry school children really gain anything from zoos? I think they should make it a rule that all children of all ages MUST BE SUPERVISED!!!
It's shocking that the teachers take such little responsibility for their children they teach.
I agree partially to this. However, it really depends on the school/type of visit. Some schools take pupils for school trips as an end of term reward for good behaviour. The whole point of the school trip is not to be educated, but just to have a good day out and actually get away from learning. However, the main problem is the few that ruin it for others and are generally bad. These people should not be allowed to visit full stop, and each indiviual should be decided based on behaviour etc during the year. I would find it more beneficial to go off on my own or in a small group, since then I could take my time to read the signs instead of being hurried along by others that want to get to the more popular exhibits.