STAFF at Swindon's outdoor activities centre have welcomed new Government guidelines on school trips.

Workers at the Plas Pencelli Outdoor Education Centre in Brecon, Wales, which is owned by Swindon Council, say that taking part in outdoor activities, such as canoeing or rock climbing, changes children's lives.

They have condemned the decision by the NASUWT teaching union to boycott school trips for fear of teachers being sued if a child is injured.

The school trip supervision guidelines announced by Education Secretary Ruth Kelly yesterday are aimed at tackling safety concerns about school trips.

Rob Egelstaff, who runs the centre in Brecon, said: "I do think it's a bit absurd for the NASUWT to have a blanket recommendation that teachers should not take school trips.

"They are wary of litigation but the Government is saying that provided teachers follow the guidelines they have nothing to fear.

"It's only if you behave unreasonably or if you do something that does not follow best or good practice that you become vulnerable."

As well as issuing new guidelines, a Commons Education Select Committee has recommended the launch of an outdoor education manifesto setting out every child's right to participate in activities outside the classroom.

Mr Egelstaff believes that the majority of parents want their children to go on outdoor activity trips.

"Every day I see schools from Swindon and I see how outdoor activities can change children's lives for the better," he said.

"It changes them by raising their self esteem. It gives them confidence and helps them to refocus their lives and become motivated again.

"We receive a lot of feedback from teachers and headteachers, as well as parents.

"The common response we receive from parents is that their child seems to have grown up and has started to take more responsibility for themselves." But Dick Mattick, who is Swindon branch secretary of the NASUWT, said the union would continue to advise its members not to take children on school trips, despite the new guidelines.

He said: "The advice the union gives its members is not to get involved in school trips because of the dangers of prosecution.

"Anything the Government does to clarify the situation in terms of teacher liability has got to be welcomed.

"But I think it's unlikely that the union will change its mind especially when the number of specially trained staff at outdoor centres has been cut so more and more responsibility falls on teachers."