There are no legislated minimum standards for the competency and
qualifications required by teachers in the outdoors. Core competency
and skill requirements for outdoor leaders can best be judged
by using accepted peer practices and existing national body standards
as bench marks.
In the Outdoor Pursuits Guidelines the standards provided are
recommended as general guidelines only.
This section will give direction on how these standards can be
decided on and implemented.
A
large number of Training Organisations offer the opportunity to
gain core skills and knowledege in outdoor pursuits activities
[Go to Outdoor Training
Opportunities].
Requirements
of EOTC Personnel Management
The key elements in this process are:
•a job specification.
•a person specification.
•a process for selection of staff.
•measures for assessing the standards of competence of staff.
•professional training and developement for staff
•detemining the requirements for adequate safety management
of outdoor activities
Although most schools, principals and Boards of Trustees exercise
great care in selecting suitable staff to be involved in EOTC
programmes, current practice is often unsystematic.
EOTC has a long tradition of dedicated teachers committing voluntary
time to running their programmes. It is estimated there are approximately
7,000 teachers involved in EOTC activities in New Zealand. Support,
training and assistance for these teachers has always been sparse
and consequently a minimum standard of competence for EOTC teachers
has always been an ad hoc and arbitrary standard.
There are many differing perceptions of competence and qualifications
in the outdoor leaders. In the context of "professional"
outdoor leaders (those that hold an award or qualification from
a National Organisation), it is often contended that because of
the physical and psychological risks involved in outdoor activities,
they should only be led by those "professionally qualified".
The current reality, to teachers, of these professional awards
is that the existing award programmes and their standards are
not suitable to the vast majority of EOTC leaders.
Competence goes beyond the capability to be able to demonstrate
the possession of skills. Professionalism need not be equated
with paper qualifications. Many EOTC leaders qualified only by
experience may be more competent at achieving results than those
who may have taken an award bearing course. Competence can be
found in experienced, voluntary leaders no less than incompetence
in paid full time professionals holding numerous awards.
This requires the Board to set in place processes and systems
that will correctly identify the qualifications required and the
competencies needed.
However in the absence of a suitable and appropriate award scheme
for EOTC it is essential for schools to set their own policies,
guidelines and standards, using national body competencies as
guidelines to strive towards. Many existing EOTC leaders would
be able to demonstrate equivalent competency to national body
standards. For those who might not be involved in the outdoors
enough to reach these standards but are heavily involved in EOTC
activities, the school must be put in place a system to record
and demonstrate these competencies and to ensure minimum standards
exist.
Standards
of Competence and their Assessment
The standards of competence required to work as a leader with
young people in EOTC activities depends on the degree of physical
and psychological risk, on the experience and maturity of the
group and detemining the requirements for adequate safety management
of outdoor activities.
Standards and qualifications for most outdoor skills have been
established by the national governing bodies for each activity.
Many of these bodies offer proficiency awards or certificates
for instructors and leaders in mountaineering, caving, canoeing,
sailing, windsurfing, rock climbing etc. and these should be used
as benchmarks for minimum standards when setting policies for
EOTC programmes.
The main emphasis in these qualifications is on technical knowledge
and skills but many also include elements of organisation leadership,
instruction and group management. Qualifications in human skills
are seldom offered as part of these awards and as such offer little
safeguard against the personal qualities required to run EOTC
programmes.
Unfortunately the area of personal qualities is probably the most
important of all.
Judgement, common sense, wisdom, imagination, integrity and similar
qualities are difficult to assess. Despite this it is important
when setting minimum standards and competencies to attempt to
assess such human skills.
Initial assessments before placement within an EOTC programme
are essential. Find out the subjective judgements of the peers
and managers of the staff under consideration. Establish a system
of information gathering that will allow assessment of personal
qualities of staff while at work. It is important to record staff
performance and regularly appraise staff of them. The individual
should also keep a log book or learning log of activities. This
enables strengths and shortcomings to be identified and be handled
as is necessary through development and training. It is essential
to devise a system that will attest to the all round competence
of the people the school gives responsibility to for its students.
Teacher
Competencies
A suggestion for suitable standards of practice and minimum competencies
might be as follows:
Teachers who have responsibility for EOTC programme activities
and student safety will demonstrate competence according to the
following criteria.
The teacher must have:
(a) have demonstrated competence in experential teaching methods;
(b) have a current First Aid Certificate;
(c) demonstrate proficiency in planning for and managing all "risk"
activities for the given programme;
(d) demonstrate the ability to anticipate and manage potential
hazards, both physical and emotional;
(e) demonstrate sound judgement and the ability to manage a group
effectively under stressful conditions;
(f) demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to the school
policies and guidelines for EOTC activities;
(g) be competent in navigation;
(h) be competent in search and rescue;
(i) attended a Defensive Driving course;
(j) be proficient in the code of care for the environment;
(k) demonstrate an ability to provide appropriate structure, perspective
and guidance in the process of managing a course;
(l) be sufficiently fit to lead all activities on the course and
maintain ample energy, strength and focus to assist students with
physical and emotional obstacles;
(m) have a good working knowledge of the environment in which
the activities will be taken.
The following documentation will be present in each staff members
personal file:
•an application or resume;
•a work and training history in outdoor activities and EOTC
•evaluations by peers, mentors or previous employers
•current complete medical forms
•current accreditations or certifications.
•a learning log which the staff member will update six monthly
on personal involvement in outdoor/EOTC •ctivities
•staff appraisal reports
