School Trips Are Disappearing: “Teachers Are Held Responsible When Accidents Happen”

[Financial News] At least half of elementary schools are not holding overnight field trips, such as school trips and retreats, data show. In Seoul and Gyeonggi, more than nine in 10 elementary schools did not hold overnight experiential learning trips. Concerns are growing that students are losing opportunities to gain experience outside the classroom as teachers face a greater burden of responsibility for accidents during field trips.
On the 14th, according to data submitted by the Ministry of Education to Rep. Seo Beom-soo of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly’s Education Committee, the share of elementary schools nationwide holding overnight field trips fell by 11.9 percentage points, from 59.7% in 2023 to 47.8% last year. Over the same period, the number of elementary schools that held such trips dropped by 724, from 3,703 to 2,979.
There were also wide regional disparities. Last year, the rate of overnight experiential learning trips at elementary schools was just 9.5% in Gyeonggi and 7.8% in Seoul. Daejeon’s rate was even lower, at 4.0%. By contrast, the rate exceeded 90% in four regions: Daegu, South Gyeongsang, Jeju and Gwangju.
Day trips that do not involve overnight stays also fell sharply. Among the 14 cities and provinces for which data covering the past three years were available, the share of elementary schools holding one-day field trips dropped from 88.1% in 2023 to 68.5% last year. Seoul saw a particularly steep decline, from 98.8% to 51.1% over the same period. Just two years ago, virtually every elementary school held day trips; now, only about half do.
The situation is similar at middle and high schools. The rate of overnight experiential learning trips across elementary, middle and high schools fell each year, from 72.5% in 2023 to 70.6% in 2024 and 62.6% last year. The rate at high schools also dropped over the same period, from 97.2% to 85.9%.
The burden of responsibility for accidents faced by teachers is cited as a major reason for the decline in field trips. Concerns surrounding such trips grew after a teacher leading a field trip was sentenced last year to six months in prison, suspended for two years, in connection with a student’s death during a field trip in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, in 2022.
In November 2024, the National Assembly amended the School Safety Act to exempt school personnel who had fulfilled their safety obligations from civil and criminal liability. The Ministry of Education also further amended the law this May to exempt teachers from liability when they had acted without intent or gross negligence, and announced a support plan to increase the number of field-trip aides and dedicated staff at education support offices.
However, critics say the government’s response came late, given that the decline in field trips has continued since 2023.
Rep. Seo stressed, “The decline in field trips has been evident since 2023, but the Ministry of Education’s support plan did not come out until this May,” adding, “The ministry should conduct a comprehensive survey of field trips held in 2026, and the National Assembly should also move quickly to amend the School Safety Act.”

[email protected] Kim Gyeong-min Reporter