Kerala govt issues fresh guidelines for school trips
Schools to engage only authorised tour operators
The Kerala government has provided fresh directions for schools while undertaking study tours and industry visits, keeping in mind some of the undesirable practices that have crept into the system. The state education department has said that all schools including the CBSE and ICSE institutions have to ensure that only recognised tour operators are used for the purpose.
In a press release, the department has said that the responsibility of such trips will be have to be met by the heads of the respective schools. The arrangements of such visits will have to be charted by the teachers themselves. The move is clearly directed at meeting safety standards and following regulations.
The list of recognised tour operators can be found in the website https://www.keralatourism.org/tour-operators. The directive comes in the wake of a number of un-recognised tour operators entering the business of conducting school trips.
Reacting to the development, Sanjeev Kumar, President of the Confederation of Accredited Tour Operators (CATO) said, “The government’s directive is a step in the right direction, as it will help the authorised tour operators conduct their activities in the most responsible manner, by rooting out unrecognised players in the market. I am happy to note that the representation submitted by CATO to the state government has been duly recognised”.
The CATO Office Bearers :
