Planning urged on outdoor educationists

Press, 28 August 1982, Page 24

Planning urged on outdoor educationists

PA Wellington Post-primary teachers needed to improve the quality of outdoor education in schools, Mr Bert McConnell, of Christchurch Teachers’ College, has told delegates at the national outdoor education conference in Wellington. Too many teachers paid lip service to environmental awareness as they “rushed to the great gymnasium of the outdoors” to teach tramping, conoeing, and climbing, he said. He suggested that if teachers critically evaluated what students learned from some of the present programmes they would be alarmed at the results. More careful planning of activities and training for teachers was needed, he said. About 300 teachers, youth leaders, social workers, and environmentalists are attend-

ing the four-day conference, which was opened on Saturday by the Under-Secretary for Recreation and Sport, Mr Thompson. Mr Thompson said a New Zealand outdoor recreation policy was soon to be published, aimed at better planning in the use of outdoor resources. It was divided into two sections, the first looking at goals for outdoor education, considering such aspects as quality of life, resource and management, planning, education, training, publicity and research. “The second section looks at the outdoor recreation environment in New Zealand and provides the context in which the stated goals can be applied.” Mr Thompson also said he expected outdoor skills to feature prominently in future programmes for school leavers . facing unemployment.