Government minister launches student travel safety website

12:45pm Tuesday 16th March 2010

By Kevin Bradford

BACKPACKING students will now be able to receive specific travel advice after a Government minister yesterday launched an information website at a Mill Hill school.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) initiative has been set up in response to the number of young Britons finding themselves in trouble abroad through not having insurance or because of a lack of knowledge about the cultures they are in.

The teacher toolkit, which uses an interactive website and advice sheets, is aimed at 16 to 18-year-olds in personal, social and health education (PSHE) classes, and was officially trialled for the first time yesterday at Copthall School, in Pursley Road.

FCO Minister, Chris Bryant MP, introduced the scheme at the school and highlighted to students the importance of being prepared whether it be for a weeks holiday with friends to Spain or a gap year alone around the world.

He said: “One of the great excitements of modern life is more of us can travel abroad than could do 30 years ago. But you have to be very careful when you go abroad and doing a little bit of research before you go can make an enormous difference.

“There are so many things that can go wrong, such as health problems, accidents, getting into trouble with the police, becoming a victim of crime; and young people have got to take precautions.

“Everybody gets excited about going on holiday if it is the first time without parents. But if they get out there and get completely blottoed they could get into danger in many places.”

The resources cover the importance of getting the right vaccinations as well as doing proper financial planning, finding the right travel insurance and the potential consequences excessive boozing.

The website, which has been created as part of the FCO's Know Before You Go (KBYG) campaign, features an interactive globe with key information on 15 countries likely to be visited by students, short films, and scenarios teenagers may find themselves in when travelling.

Mr Bryant said: “What we are trying to get across is a simple message of common sense and anything that can get them to engage more must be a good thing.”

Loukia Peara, a PSHE teacher at Copthall School, said the resource will be vital in informing the pupils, especially at a time of year when many are thinking of going abroad after exams.

She said: “When they get to this age they know they have got university coming up, and if some of them are not sure what to do we promote them going travelling.

“They are about as aware as any teenager about the dangers, but it comes as a surprise to them to hear about drinks being spikes and the number of rapes has gone up.

“We would hope most of our students would go through some research, but this helps them learn that even if something they do isn't going to be life threatening, it might still get them into trouble.”

The travel advice website is available to all holiday makers and is free to view at www.fco.gov.uk/schools