Board Passes Buck

Wednesday April 5, 2006

^{Category: Educational Student Travel | United Kingdom Travel | London Tube}

According to the South Florida News-Press, Fort Myers band students may be traveling to London to march in the New Year's Parade following the school board's vote last night that affected parents will make the final ruling; the decision comes after school officials shut down the trip with a school superintendent's March call to keep students home because of terrorism concerns.

Brit's backs went up after English safety slurs, connected to 2005 London tube bombings, were made by Fort Myers school officials; press releases from the UK subsequently pointed out that Florida is no safe tourist haven, citing "catastrophic" weather and Lee County's murder rate.

Band boosters must still raise over $200K needed for the trip, as had been planned; in effect, the school board is essentially okaying a "permission slip" for school-sanctioned international student travel. 80% of band parents must vote "yes" in a Thursday meeting before the trip is officially on.

Fort Myers officials initially refused to reconsider the attention-getting decision or speak to press; last night's 5-0 vote (source) might indicate that perhaps the school board did not understand the implication of what were shown to be inflammatory statements ("Florida school to London: 'We don't have trains blowing up in America' ") nor the impact of its potentially precedent-setting decision kaboshing international student travel.

London travel writer speaks out pro student travel

In a recent email exchange, London-based travel journalist Ferne Arfin speculated that students from larger cities had the worldwise edge at her university; likening the London band trip to street-smart savvy, she wrote, "...the New York kids were more poised, more sure of themselves and more fit for the competitive atmosphere of college. I think European travel does the same thing. It opens minds, sure, and increases exposure to all kinds of culture, good and bad. And it helps young people better understand why people resent us so much.

"But it also makes them stronger, more flexible and resourceful human beings for their own future good.

"They say that the reason so many kids today have asthma, allergies and constant colds is that in our disinfected environment, nobody gets exposed to enough germs. Sometimes you need the cultural germs as well -- the good bacteria and the bad -- to enable you to cope in the modern world."

Well said. Let's hope the Fort Myers students have the opportunity to catch the travel bug. Though it's disappointing that the Fort Myers school board apparently still does not understand the message they have sent students regarding fear and international travel, and are skirting the issue by leaving the final decision to parents, it is encouraging to note that outcry may have opened the door to discussion.

"To society, enticing young people to travel and to see the world should be a priority. These are our future leaders, after all. While we old fogies muddle along on our bus tours, admiring the scenery and appreciating the architecture and the foie gras, young folks are interacting with the culture by necessity. Without the wealth that brings isolation in a luxury hotel, they're living communally in hostels, sleeping in trains.
"Along the way they're experiencing and debating the social controls and problem solving of a society with different politics and a different history; they're looking into the guts of an unfamiliar culture and acquiring a true and rounded education.
"Given a couple years of seasoning and book learning, these are the people I want leading my country."
-- James Martin, "Europe for Visitors," on student travel