Hundreds of Frits Philips Lyceum’s students, despite the recent attacks, left for a multi-day trip to London early this morning.
At six o’clock, the travelling company headed by ten teachers traveled to the English capital. A terrorist attack took place there on Saturday night.
After the last attack, the school management almost immediately sought digital contact with teachers and parents. From this it was fairly quickly concluded that the trip simply had to go on, says Acting Director Rob Heijmans to Studio040. Seven students will not go. They or their parents did not dare to partake in the trip. ‘We all have a good understanding of this as a school. For home-stayers, there is an alternative program with interesting excursions at school.’
The school bases its choice to go to London on the fact that no negative travel advice has been issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition, the school takes the view that in cases such as this ‘common sense’ should be used.
‘You can never avoid all risks, but we make every effort to take our responsibility,’ emphasizes Heijmans. Therefore, the group is divided into small groups and big crowds are avoided wherever possible. Also the free afternoon for the students has been canceled. Instead, an alternative program takes its place.
According to Heijmans, the international experience that the pupils acquire is important for their development. Frits Philips Lyceum-mavo is affiliated with ELOS cross-border education. This means that international exchanges take place with schools abroad and that there is contact with peers in another language.
The students and their teachers return to Eindhoven on Friday.
Source: Studio040
