Come summer time and beaches in Goa get flooded with domestic tourists. It is also a time for some of the #goans who have relocated themselves elsewhere in India and abroad to make a trip to Goa. The benefit of such seasonal vacation also becomes a learning process for those who hunger for knowledge.
Goa has much to offer in terms of cultural heritage which a balanced mix of both ancient Goa and the Goa with a Portuguese flavour. Goa is looked upon as a platter of Church, Temples, Beaches, Feni and football. But if we really want to preserve all this for next generations , it is important that students get to see all of this in reality and not just in their text books.
A field trip gives a child a break from the routine of being confined to a desk. Field trips and excursions gives the students and the teachers an opportunity to bond with each other in an out of classroom environment. Students understand history better when they go on a heritage walk, use of modern technology at an industry helps a student to take interest in science.
In this competitive world the students become a part of the rat-race in the school itself. Getting higher grades and preparing for competitive entrance exams becomes a part of students career planning. In this scenario a excursion or field trip, a child gets an opportunity to be a part the real life experiences . It helps the child explore the real world and be prepared for the challenges.
A study tour at a Science centre, like the one at Miramar may help the students to observe and learn the subject better. But a #fieldtrip to a local T.V channel helps students to learn the various steps of broadcasting news, right from filming to editing and uploading. It is not surprising that many students discover their hidden talents and develop a liking to certain field after understanding the on job surrounding.
Many a times parents wish to plan a family trip that would double up as a fun trip and also be a learning experience. But at times it gets postponed due to various reasons like lack of time, no proper planning, finance etc. There are also certain places like factories that limit access to only school groups..
There are some institutions who have understood the need and importance of such educational trips and include them in their annual planner. The teachers who accompany the students at outings like this face a difficult task of handling students. But it also helps to create a bond with the students who understand their duty to remain disciplined.
Hats off to the Schools and Colleges who add such outings to students journey, as they get educated to face real life. There might be a few who believe in " discretion is the better part of valour".
