by Ilaria Cucchi
School trips are in crisis. Once considered an indispensable educational occasion, today they are increasingly avoided by the teachers themselves. Not for disinterest, but for a set of motivations that go far beyond reduced fees. This is what emerges from a survey made by the specialized newspaper The school technique Between 3 and 10 April 2025, to which 2,055 readers responded, in large majority teachers.
The data that immediately jumps to the eyes is this: 48.8% of teachers avoid school exits for fear of accidents and for the absence of adequate protection. In other words, the responsibility is enormous, but the shoulders on which it falls on are always the same. And the law – according to many – does not help.
Another 27.7% declares that they do not want to accompany students because of the Difficulty in class management in environments outside the school. The new generations are more lively, less disciplined, and in contexts such as trips or educational trips the situation ends easily.
Paid little for the trip? The economic knot, albeit important, is not the only problem. Only 21.7% complain about the remuneration too low, which do not repay the time and the energy invested: being responsible for a class during a trip means working beyond service hours, often on weekends, renouncing free time for an almost symbolic salary. Another figure, albeit a minority, completes the picture: 1.8% of teachers said he was discouraged by lack of career awards For those who participate in extra school activities such as didactic outputs. A system that does not reward those who commit more, and indeed the charge of new tasks. The survey also collected numerous comments. Some teachers, while continuing to participate in the trips, report a growing state of malaise. “I am in favor of the trips, but only if recognized on a professional level – writes a teacher – today we are alone in everything”. Another underlines: “The problem is not the trips, but the way the school totally unloads them on teachers”. There are also those who participate “at the cost of great personal sacrifices”, and those who launch a concrete proposal: “a figure dedicated to logistics would be needed, because the teacher cannot make the tour operator”.
The survey – must be specified – is not scientific character, but the numbers speak clearly. The Italian school risks losing a fundamental piece of its training course: Education outside the classroomsin contact with the territory and cultural heritage. But as long as the organization of education trips is experienced as a weight, and not as a shared resource, they will hardly return to being a widespread and serene experience. Serious reflection is needed. And perhaps even a change of course.
