Sharing Good Practice
How educational travel can
work for you
Develop interest in the wider
world
Experiencing foreign economies,
climates, cultures and cuisines gives
students an expanded frame of
reference and develops their sense
of wonder. Environmental diversity
can be demonstrated with a trip to
Borneo. Spanish language lessons can
be reinforced with a trip to Spain where
the students learn not just about the
language, but how the language is
a true embodiment of the Spanish
culture, full of passion and poetry.
Expose students to new
opportunities
Open up the world of life’s possibilities.
Meeting new people from all different
walks of life and hearing about their
experiences can trigger interests that
change lives. Chances of meeting an
archaeologist while living in the UAE
might be few and far between but
a historical tour of the pyramids can
show students how exciting a career in
that field could be.
W
e are blessed in the UAE to
live in a place that allows
easy access to many and
varied cultures, histories
and landscapes. This can only serve
to enhance the education children
receive, both in their day to day life and
in the classroom. The educational trips
that schools offer students are a natural
extension of this. Here are some of the
key reasons why educational travel can
benefit students.
Get real
It may be hard for students to imagine
what it felt like for a gladiator to stand in
the stadium and look up at the crowd,
but put the student in the coliseum and
all of a sudden they can hear the roar
of ancient Roman spectators in their
ears. Seeing something with your own
two eyes can enhance understanding
and also make that learning indelible
on the student’s mind.
Put things in perspective
A homestay in a rural Cambodian
village will open students’ eyes to the
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forces of market economies in a way
that classroom lessons can’t. Students
will see how costs of production and
supply and demand can have a direct
impact on the profitability of a farmer’s
operation. Students can also gain an
appreciation for how the decisions of
governments around the world can
have far reaching impacts for everyday
people.
Nurture creativity and
imagination
Expose students to the works of
creative geniuses of our time and
allow them to soak in the atmosphere
that inspires that creativity. Paris is a
treasure trove of creative inspiration,
whether it be a walk through Picasso’s
neighbourhood and visit to his
Montmartre studio, or a day being
guided through the progression from
realism to surrealism at the Musee
D’Orsay. Theatre and dance students
have opportunities to learn different
genres while visiting countries like
Indonesia and Thailand.
Class Time
It’s not all for the students
While we have mentioned all of these
reasons from the students point of
view, it can be said that these benefit
are equally applicable for teachers.
Not only do the teachers get to have
these wonderful experiences too,
but moving into the real world helps
to reinforce classroom lessons and
engages students on a deeper level
making the lessons that much more
memorable.
Teachers who book educational travel
through a professional School Travel
provider will find that there are a wide
range of tours that tie the classroom
curriculum into travel itineraries.
Rather than just doing a regular city
tour School Travel providers can
provide travel itineraries that have
several links with a chosen curriculum,
whether that be History, Geography,
Art or Economics. Anything that
can be taught in a classroom can be
enhanced with real world experience.