Risk/ Benefit Management For Outdoor Learning
One of the important benefits of outdoor learning is that it provides children with an appropriate opportunity to learn how to manage risk. In Australia most children are taught to swim safely at quite an early age so that they can grow up with the benefit of the joy of water play in our frequent hot weather. Water play entails real risk and each year children (and adults) drown, but outlawing water play in Australia is unlikely to be successful. By managing the risk involved in water play Australian society has made swimming and water sports a feature of a healthy and fun lifestyle while significantly reducing the risk associated with it. Many other aspects of outdoor play also entail risk but similarly the benefits of good risk management allow for a rich and rewarding childhood/life.
Kindergartens and Children's Centres seldom provide the richness of environment and opportunities for learning, skill development and socializing that the great outdoors in Australia routinely provides. With this great opportunity comes some risk which good guiding adults will need to address.
Facilitators and teachers will sensibly be required to do some form of risk assessment and preparation prior to taking children into the outdoors. Authorities responsible for governing early childhood groups will usually set some sort of pre-program risk assessment. It is a good idea to also involve the parents of the children in this exercise if possible and indeed the children themselves. Hopefully this models good practice that parents can follow and indeed the children themselves. Indeed it is likely to make them more aware of the risks and help them manage themselves whilst in your care and later in life. Great preparation for a rich and rewarding life.
Assessing risk is an interesting exercise. We assume we are rational decision makers but this is often not the case. In Australia there is a perception that our snakes and spiders are much more dangerous than they really are. The last death from spider bite was recorded in 1981 (a Sydney funnel web and the last Redback Spider death was in 1959). Snakes do kill Australians but at the average rate of 1.4 a year and with increasing knowledge and correct treatment this figure should continue to decline. However that is not to suggest that snakes and to a lesser extent spiders are not dangerous. They can be and proper care should be taken if this is a danger in the areas and at the time of year where you will be taking children.
We like to think that Australia is a wild place and a number of television shows have gained a lot of popularity around the world promoting the danger of the denizens of the Australian bush. This is a perception now commonly held but not backed by statistics. We do not have bears, large cats or even big bad tempered herbivores (unless you stray into the bull paddock at a farm). In Northern Australia we do have crocodiles and due care is advised in their territory. Sunburn, bushfires and dehydration are more pertinent risks. They too can be managed.
Whilst working on the risk assessment it is also helpful to consider the benefits. Appropriate levels of risk are what all teachers should be exposing their children to but exposure to risk is presumably not the primary aim of going into the outdoors. More usually you will be seeking to provide a challenging learning experience and the risk is a side benefit.
Good risk management will entail appropriate
· First aid kits and other equipment, and people that are trained in first aid and the use of the required equipment.
· Adults aware of the risks, how to manage those risks and at the appropriate ratio of adults to children.
· Children that are aware of the risks and how they should respond to those risks. You also need to know the children you are taking and how they are likely to respond to the situations you might encounter.
· Appropriate clothing for the situations that you are going into- eg gumboots and coats for wet and muddy conditions.
· Good liasing with managers of the areas you are going into so that you have current knowledge of events and opportunities.
· Procedures for extreme weather events, a cancellation policy.
Many land management authorities will have risk/ benefit documents available to help guide your Risk/ Benefit Management.
Some examples risk/benefit assessments from the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne and Cranbourne.
See a risk management document for Westgarth Bush Kinder.
One of the important benefits of outdoor learning is that it provides children with an appropriate opportunity to learn how to manage risk. In Australia most children are taught to swim safely at quite an early age so that they can grow up with the benefit of the joy of water play in our frequent hot weather. Water play entails real risk and each year children (and adults) drown, but outlawing water play in Australia is unlikely to be successful. By managing the risk involved in water play Australian society has made swimming and water sports a feature of a healthy and fun lifestyle while significantly reducing the risk associated with it. Many other aspects of outdoor play also entail risk but similarly the benefits of good risk management allow for a rich and rewarding childhood/life.
Kindergartens and Children's Centres seldom provide the richness of environment and opportunities for learning, skill development and socializing that the great outdoors in Australia routinely provides. With this great opportunity comes some risk which good guiding adults will need to address.
Facilitators and teachers will sensibly be required to do some form of risk assessment and preparation prior to taking children into the outdoors. Authorities responsible for governing early childhood groups will usually set some sort of pre-program risk assessment. It is a good idea to also involve the parents of the children in this exercise if possible and indeed the children themselves. Hopefully this models good practice that parents can follow and indeed the children themselves. Indeed it is likely to make them more aware of the risks and help them manage themselves whilst in your care and later in life. Great preparation for a rich and rewarding life.
Assessing risk is an interesting exercise. We assume we are rational decision makers but this is often not the case. In Australia there is a perception that our snakes and spiders are much more dangerous than they really are. The last death from spider bite was recorded in 1981 (a Sydney funnel web and the last Redback Spider death was in 1959). Snakes do kill Australians but at the average rate of 1.4 a year and with increasing knowledge and correct treatment this figure should continue to decline. However that is not to suggest that snakes and to a lesser extent spiders are not dangerous. They can be and proper care should be taken if this is a danger in the areas and at the time of year where you will be taking children.
We like to think that Australia is a wild place and a number of television shows have gained a lot of popularity around the world promoting the danger of the denizens of the Australian bush. This is a perception now commonly held but not backed by statistics. We do not have bears, large cats or even big bad tempered herbivores (unless you stray into the bull paddock at a farm). In Northern Australia we do have crocodiles and due care is advised in their territory. Sunburn, bushfires and dehydration are more pertinent risks. They too can be managed.
Whilst working on the risk assessment it is also helpful to consider the benefits. Appropriate levels of risk are what all teachers should be exposing their children to but exposure to risk is presumably not the primary aim of going into the outdoors. More usually you will be seeking to provide a challenging learning experience and the risk is a side benefit.
Good risk management will entail appropriate
· First aid kits and other equipment, and people that are trained in first aid and the use of the required equipment.
· Adults aware of the risks, how to manage those risks and at the appropriate ratio of adults to children.
· Children that are aware of the risks and how they should respond to those risks. You also need to know the children you are taking and how they are likely to respond to the situations you might encounter.
· Appropriate clothing for the situations that you are going into- eg gumboots and coats for wet and muddy conditions.
· Good liasing with managers of the areas you are going into so that you have current knowledge of events and opportunities.
· Procedures for extreme weather events, a cancellation policy.
Many land management authorities will have risk/ benefit documents available to help guide your Risk/ Benefit Management.
Some examples risk/benefit assessments from the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne and Cranbourne.
See a risk management document for Westgarth Bush Kinder.