To think if they made children walk 21 miles on a school trip in 2016?? (light hearted post)

[salsmum]

Remembering some years ago we went on a school trip to Sayers Croft (early 70s) I think I was about 12 and one of the 'activities' was to walk 21 miles (for achievement) in a day! we received a small pin badge and as far as I remember little else..there were no casualties aside from a girl who suffered from nose bleeds....AIBU to think that if a school were to ask pupils to walk that many miles on a school trip in 2016 they would be reported to S.S. or there would be out rage?.
My 'children' are grown adults now so not sure if schools still ask their pupils to walk 'mini marathons'.

Nah, my DSD just recently did DofE award, and part of it was having to walk for miles and miles, set up a camp overnight and walk back again, no help or supervision.
You've been reading too much media stuff about health and safety gone mad!

I mean sure, forcing children to walk miles and miles isn't on, but neither is hitting kids with blackboard rubbers, and that happened then too!

Yes, I suspect you can blame the EU and immigrants for it...

lacktoast [not sure what the hell that's got to do with my light hearted post]

A healthy human can walk quite a long distance in one day without any adverse effects. Even an unfit human. It just takes longer.

Not sure how much 21 miles are in kilometres.

Could be today's children would be slower, but as long as they get enough food and drink and are home before sunset without the teachers forcing them to walk faster, I don't think this would be reported.

How old were you?

Children do similar when they do things like DofE.

Doh, you said you were 12, sorry!

I don't think YABU, actually. I can't imagine many schools taking children on a 21 mile hike at that age.

I dunno, DS's junior school are organising a trip to climb Mt. Snowden in the summer. They did it last year, taking mostly Yr 5 & 6 children.

I don't think there would be outrage at all.

D of E bronze which is age 13 ish is 15 miles over two days but carrying tents and stuff so harder mile for mile but not as far.

21 miles in one day is actually a big day but doable in summer with the long days. And depends of terrain as well.

I once took part in a whole-school, compulsory, sponsored walk. 5 miles along the beach, 5 miles back again, and you could walk go home as soon as you'd finished.

Doubt that'd be allowed either now.

Ds did 21 miles over 2 days with scouts last year.
Had to take tents, cooking gear, food, water...
He was 11. He loved it.

They were told the start and end points. But they had to plot their own route... as they went.

Plenty of water was available at the marked stations. But nothing else.

Forcing a child isn't on, but an optional challenge to get a badge - meh.

There is a local sponsored walk that school children do that is a lot longer than that. It's voluntary but loads do it.

Yes it was compulsory I'm not against it and although I moaned at the time and the terrain was uneven and muddy I spo's looking back it was quite a 'character building' exercise but then I loved walking as a child and (when I get the time) still do today but it was really just a question/post asking whether we would accept/mind our children/Grandchildren doing it today?.

There was an annual sponsored 21 mile walk for us, a mere 14 miles for under 12s!

When DS2 was at primary school the infants were not allowed to use the steps they had to use the ramp. I doubt if any child in the 200 year history of the school had come to serious harm from climbing two steps .

I thought about it when I saw this picture.

My daughter (23) accompanied a school trip recently as a helper (Junior School children aged 10 and 11). She told us she was really shocked at the lack of fitness of the children, particularly the girls, and felt it was very changed from even when she was at school. They had a treasure hunt challenge and she was shocked at how out of breath and tired they became very quickly.

I cannot imagine that children now would cope with such a long walk although, having said that, life has changed. If I had to do housework as my mother or grandmother had to do it, without appliances, walking to shops, etc I probably would struggle too.