What's new

This comparative case study examined three high-profile outdoor education fatalities in Canada. One was the recent Ontario case of criminal negligence against a teacher in the death of a student. Accimaps were used to map the many contributing factors in each event. All three cases showed contributory administrative factors of undefined risk tolerance, risk creep, lack of oversight, and issues with parental consent. The authors draw preventive lessons for school and board-level policy and practice.

Why it matters in Aotearoa

Boards and principals in Aotearoa carry responsibility for EOTC safety systems. The study identifies administrative factors that contributed to serious incidents.

Putting it into practice

Boards and EOTC coordinators could set a written risk tolerance for each activity type, check regularly for gradual 'risk creep', and make sure consent forms describe the activity accurately.

How strong is the evidence

This is a comparative case study of three fatalities, using Accimaps to illustrate contributing factors. It is useful for identifying patterns, but three cases cannot show how common these factors are.

What to read

The common factors across the cases and the preventive lessons.

Who it's for