During my time in school we were hardly ever taken out to the mountains and never while at six form college. Talking to people who went to school in flatter places such as London, it seemed that they were taken on regular trips to the mountains and that there was an active Duke of Edinburgh scheme.
I cannot comment on the current situation in schools but I doubt that anything has changed. I don't blame the schools, small rural schools simply don't have the staff or resources necessary to run exciting outdoor activities.
The good news is that the situation is improving thanks to inititives such as http://www.partneriaeth-awyr-agored.co.uk (outdoor partnership). Tracy Evans from the Outdoor Partnership is doing a great job setting up outdoor sports clubs for young people and helping out local people who are trying to become outdoor instructors; such as myself! I may be slightly biased since the Outdoor Partnership has helped towards funding my summer ML (Mountain Leader) training and my SPA (single pitch award) training! If you live in Gwynedd or Anglesey go checkout the Outdoor Partnership Website, the news section has information on current clubs and outdoor work opportunities.
You might have guessed it.....its currently raining outside! Time for a jog!