A school proposal pamphlet published by the Rural Development Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in March 2025, clearly explaining the educational value and implementation effects of farm stay educational travel for school stakeholders.
This pamphlet aims to specifically show how farm stay educational travel contributes to achieving educational objectives based on the Course of Study for educational stakeholders including school principals, vice-principals, grade leaders, and board of education staff. Particularly, the important role that farm stay experience plays in fostering "life skills," which relates to the core of education, is emphasized.
Regarding specific content of educational effects, knowledge and skill acquisition includes practical understanding of agriculture and food production, improved interest in environmental issues, and understanding of regional social systems. For fostering thinking ability, judgment ability, and expression ability, problem-solving ability improvement through agricultural work and regional issue initiatives, and communication ability development through group work are shown.
For cultivating motivation toward learning and humanity, rich sensitivity development through contact with nature, social development through exchange with regional residents, cooperation improvement through collaborative work, and perseverance cultivation through challenging difficult work are specifically explained. These educational effects are positioned as experiential learning that is difficult to obtain through conventional classroom learning.
Regarding safety management systems, it is clearly stated that reception systems in farm stay areas are sufficiently established, with appropriate guidance by specialized instructors, establishment of emergency response systems, and completion of insurance and compensation systems ensuring safety. Additionally, it is explained that program adjustments according to school-side requests are possible through preliminary inspections and detailed meetings.
From a cost-effectiveness perspective, farm stay educational travel is specifically shown with examples to be learning activities with clear educational objectives rather than mere tourism, with high educational effects commensurate with participation costs expected. Additionally, the ability to build meaningful relationships for both schools and regions through continuous regional exchange is emphasized.
As voices from implementing schools, specific introductions include changes in participating children and students, educational effect evaluations by teachers, and impressions from parents, demonstrating the actual effects of farm stay educational travel with evidence. Particularly, the value of farm stay as educational opportunities that compensate for insufficient nature experience and agricultural experience in urban schools is highly evaluated.
The article concludes that farm stay educational travel is an educational method that significantly contributes to enhancing experiential learning in school education and fostering "life skills," with implementation expected in more schools.