School trips are regarded by many as the perfect experience for students to learn outside of the classroom, whilst interacting with the very real and dynamic world around them. Whether it’s simply going out to a local museum or travelling to a foreign country to study the culture – school trips provide ample ways for students to expand their knowledge and independence. However some say that school trips are just a waste of time and resources, which not only disrupt a child’s school progress but also isolate those who are not able to afford it. Marie-Ange Gnamien is a Year 10 pupil at Christ’s Hospital, and in this interview, she details the stories of her previous school trip experiences and her own opinions on the matter. 

Question 1) Have you been on any school trips before? And if so where did you go?

Answer: "I’ve been on quite a few school trips like Normandy (for younger students studying French), China town and the Taiwan trip (both for senior Mandarin-learning pupils)."

Question 2) What kinds of activities did you do?

Answer: "We always do a lot of different activities, but most of them have been shopping and sightseeing alongside some sporting activities like rock climbing and walking up elephants peak. In Taiwan, we also visited a high school, which really allowed us to understand what life is like in Taiwan and practise our Mandarin skills."

Question 3) What do you think makes these experiences important? 

Answer: "I feel like these experiences are important because people have the chance to understand different cultures and apply their knowledge they have learnt at school. It is also and amazing chance to make new friends and memories not just abroad, but in your own country and your own school."

Question 4) Have you ever had a bad school trip experience? And what made it bad? 

Answer: "I have never necessarily had a bad school trip experience, but for example the Normandy trip the food was quite bad and so were the accommodations. However, in retrospect, there are so many more positives than negatives to this trip!"

Question 5) Are you planning to go on any other school trips? 

Answer: "I would love to go on the highly recommended New York trip for art students when I am in the Sixth Form."

Question 6) Do you think school trips should be more widely available?

Answer: "I think that school trips are already widely available to everyone at my school, with 'blue forms' being available to help financially unstable students or students that aren’t financially flexible enough to spend their expenses on school trips they want to go on. I think every child should have the opportunity to experience something like this!"