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Each year, when the last post is played, people the world over remember what cannot be forgotten and try to grasp what cannot be comprehended. The horrors faced in the trenches of World War One cannot be truly understood by those who did not endure their trauma. This why many parents and students baulk at the idea that children should attempt to come to terms with this dark time. But, done correctly, this sober experience can greatly benefit students. Travel back in time First of all, students on school trips to the battlefields of World War One are not only travelling in distance but also in time. The expert tours of the Somme or Verdun, accompanied by many chances to get hands on with artefacts from the war, give students the chance to gain a genuine sense of what life was like in that age. This is vital because the distance of the past can make these vital events seem unreal when simply read in books. Learn about the reality of war It is important that students understand the reality of these events. When on school trips to Ypres or Gallipoli, students will be able to distinguish that the stories of the trauma and terror at the front are not fantasy akin to what they have seen in movies of video games. Should they begin to grasp the unthinkable experiences these men and women endured, this reality will help them shape a mature world-view. Appreciate the forces shaping modern Europe Part of this world-view will encompass a richer concept of why Europe is the way it is today. Students on school trips to the grassy fields of the Somme or Verdun will discover a face-to-face experience beyond their textbooks, with the extent and significance of this 'war to end all wars'. This, in turn, will give them better historical insight into the political, economic, and social forces of modern Europe. Compare and value what we have This insight can then become more personal, as students on school trips appreciate the benefits that they have living in a peaceful Europe. Standing in a World War One museum, seeing photos of life in the trenches, and walking in the footsteps of young men and women who lost their lives in the flower of their youth will help students gain a deeper respect for the peace they live in. Grasp the sacrifice made for us There is no better way to appreciate that this peace was won on the backs of the soldiers in the trenches than by travelling to the old fronts. The decisions made to start and end World War One not only shaped modern Europe, but also were the catalyst for peaceful relations today; a dawn service at the Somme or Verdun is a poignant way for students to learn what was sacrificed for them. Angela Bowden works for STS (School Travel Service), the UK's largest educational travel company, providing school trips for secondary schools, primary schools and colleges. School trips with STS can encompass art/design, foreign languages, history, science/nature, geography and more, to worldwide destinations.
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