Question & AnswerQ&A (DEPED ORDER NO. 56, S. 2001, DECEMBER 20, 2001)
Educational field trips are intended to supplement classroom instruction by visiting places of cultural, historical, and scientific interest to enhance learning.
No, the Order explicitly states that it has not issued any circular banning educational field trips in public schools.
Places of cultural, historical, and scientific interest such as the National Museum, Museo Pambata, provincial/local museums, Science Centrum, Planetarium, zoological/botanical gardens, historical sites/shrines, model manufacturing, technological firms, or scientific sites.
Teachers should refrain from conducting tests based on these field trips or ensure that students who did not join are not penalized and are given special tests or assignments as substitutes.
Students should only be charged for actual costs such as transportation, entrance fees, and related expenses. Field trips should not be used to generate income for the school or officials.
No. Educational field trips should never be used to generate income for the school or school officials or teachers organizing the trips.
School heads are encouraged to seek external sources of funding such as local government units, civic organizations, and PTCA and to arrange group or student discounts to lessen the financial burden on students.
Yes. The organizers must secure the consent of parents as students are under the stewardship of the school during field trips.
Students who do not join the field trips should not be penalized and must be given alternative special tests or assignments.
The order clarifies that holding educational field trips is allowed despite the policy of no collection of fees during enrollment, as long as fees charged relate strictly to actual trip expenses and no additional fees are collected for enrollment or other school income.