Policy & Practice: Soapbox - Our compensation culture limits youthopportunities

I am writing this in France at Chateau Bambecq, a centre dedicated to real adventure and outdoor learning. We set it up in France because here there is no culture of fear and no Health and Safety Executive to inappropriately apply the European The Work at Height Regulations where they were never meant to be applied.

Suggestions made by health and safety executives can cause young people to underachieve. For example, it has been suggested that instead of climbing a mountain they should find a way to walk round it instead. Perhaps when real adventure, enterprise and experiential learning are once again recognised as vital to all young people and are defended by the UK Government, I shall look again at providing outdoor education in the UK.

The Government, clearly conforming to its policies of less bureaucracy and red tape, has supported the development of a Manifesto for Education Outside the Classroom. The adherence to these principals has resulted in this important document taking up three whole A4 pages. The Government is clearly spoiling us. But it is a start. The document is now out for consultation and young people and youth work should evolve the document so that they can feel passionate about it. Please, before 30 January, go to the Department for Education and Skills' consultation web site and at least read the manifesto (www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations).

On its web site, the Department for Education and Skills says the manifesto is intended to be a "movement". Like the Music Manifesto (YPN, 18-24 January, p11), it is to be created by its many stakeholders, the aim being "to provide all children and young people with a large variety of high-quality learning experiences outside the classroom, whether that be during school, after school or during holidays".

This document, along with the compensation bill that is currently going through the House of Lords, might help the Government to better understand that the numbers of young people experiencing youth work is falling and the quality of experience being offered is also being diminished because of the compensation culture in the UK (see Hot Issue, p12).

I hope that the Manifesto for Education Outside the Classroom will go some way towards changing this. Congratulations to all those involved in putting it together.

Got something to say in Soapbox? steve.barrett@haynet.com or 020 8267 4707.