subject: Educational Travel For High School Students [print this page] Whether it is right or wrong, performance in American schools is measured numerically. The numbers tell educators and administrators which programs and lesson plans work and which do not. In order to receive state and federal funding, they must demonstrate that their curriculums are productive and cost-effective. Of course, it is much easier to prove that something is essential if it can be quantified, or explained with numbers.
The results of a science or math test are pretty much unimpeachable. There is no subjective analysis or interpretation required. The student either got the answers right or got them wrong. But what about more subjective subjects, like music or art? A panoply of opinions means that numbers cannot be accurately ascribed. As a result, these subjects are often first on the chopping block when budget cuts are required.
Schools that are fighting for federal dollars are often forced to cut popular programs they know have merit because they cant prove that they do, at least in numbers. The retrenchment has been particularly damaging to foreign language departments. Most are forced to compete for a smaller share of a shrinking pie, and their students almost always lose out.
Many educators describe the situation as a category 5 crisis that has left thousands of schools teetering on the precipice of an abyss. In this austere environment, only subjects that can prove their worth are saved from the gallows. The rest are left to twist in the wind. When they dont have the funding, teachers must often make do with what they have. This means shopping around for deals whenever possible.
The highlight of most foreign language programs is the trip to the country of the languages origin. Unfortunately, most school districts cannot afford to fund these voyages of discovery any longer. In order to plan international tours for high school students, most teachers have to shop around a bit before they agree to anything.
What are the benefits of educational travel?
Once again, they cannot be expressed numerically. But for obvious reasons, it is impossible to understand a language if you are unacquainted with the people and culture that produced it. Most foreign language students learn more in a week-long trip than they could ever hope to acquire in a classroom. Educational travel gives them the opportunity to learn and practice in exciting and interesting new environments.
Public schools are not expected to cover the cost of these trips. The students and/or their parents must pay for educational travel. This is rarely an issue, since most parents appreciate the importance of international tours for high school students. After all, most of them went on them when they were young and they want their children to have the same interesting and edifying experiences that they did. But because of budget cuts, most teachers must now find a way to pay for their own educational travel.
The good news is that most tour companies are aware of the funding cuts in education and they now offer free trips for teachers, as long as they accompany a certain number of students. In order to save beaucoup bucks, educators should compare prices on the internet and book their trips as soon as possible.
