OUTDOOR LEARNING

That this House notes with concern that the number of school students choosing to study physical science subjects post-16 has fallen over the last 25 years; recognises the significant contribution that outdoor learning makes to increasing students' enthusiasm for science and helping them on their way to becoming the new scientists of the future; notes with concern that there are currently a number of barriers to improving fieldwork, including Initial Teacher Training which is not working effectively enough to help produce sufficient numbers of high quality teachers with confidence, competence and commitment to teach outdoor science to the next generation of children and young people; further notes with concern that Qualified Teacher Status standard 30 only requires that trainee teachers should be able to identify opportunities for out-of-school learning, with no requirement for trainees to plan, organise, take part in, and lead outdoor learning activities; congratulates the Field Studies Council (FSC), an environmental education charity committed to helping people understand and be inspired by the natural world, on its campaign to improve teacher training; and calls on the Department for Children, Schools and Families to support the FSC's campaign to introduce minimum standards in Initial Teacher Training and urgently to review Qualified Teacher Status standard 30.