Insurance
All participants on an educational visit must be fully and correctly insured. With a vast range of travel insurance policies and firms to choose from, it is important to study policies carefully before paying the premium.
Examples of cover needed may include:
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public liability
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third party liability, (i.e. cover for adults supervising students)
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claims for negligence
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personal accident cover for all adults and students
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costs of medical treatment
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specialised or high risk activities
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damage to or loss of hired equipment
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programmed and non-programmed activities
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expenses in emergencies
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cancellation and delay
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transport and passenger liability
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loss of baggage and personal property
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failure or bankruptcy of provider
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legal assistance/fees in the recovery of claims.
It is also essential to be aware of the risks excluded from a policy. Approval for visits should not be confirmed until minimum insurance cover has been arranged.
Generally, however, the courts do not rush to find schools/colleges and teachers/lecturers negligent - they accept that accidents do happen. However, schools and colleges must show that they have taken reasonable steps to plan trips thoroughly and assess and control risks, and individual teachers/lecturers must demonstrate that their responses to an incident were within the range of the reasonable responses of a parent.
