According to an article in the paper yesterday state school students are failing to make it as world class athletes “because they do not get the chance to practice at school”.
‘Infrequent games lessons, small playing fields and a lack of support from teachers” was the reasons given for the fact that privately educated students have taken over.
Apparently almost 34% of our Olympic squad in Beijing were privately educated and only 7% of kids here go to Independent schools.
In my experience they get full support from the already massively over-stretched teachers, but don’t allocate enough time to sports in state schools. In addition I note that the article did not mention the rise of the non-competitive sports days that have become popular of late with no individual child being encouraged to actually do anything so shocking as to actually “win” a race.
Our kids are learning how to be all inclusive and non-competitive – and I think it’s a shame. Some kids excel in maths. Others in sports. They should be allowed to shine too and I am speaking as someone who was always the last to get chosen for the teams and never won anything…..it traumatised me, but that’s life. Get over it. Run faster. Or find something else to be good at.
Crystal Jigsaw
September 29, 2010It’s in our local Journal today too. As far as I’m aware Amy gets ample exercise at school, she even has extra because she goes swimming once a week as part of her lifeskills, through her statement. I wonder if the papers have run out of stories!
CJ xx
kelloggsville
September 29, 2010It’s the sad way of the world ‘money matters’
QldDeb
September 30, 2010I agree with you, I was always the last to be picked, but there has to be a winner!
And I had my own talents, maybe ones I wouldn’t have found if I hadn’t been pushed to finding my own niche.
And loosing gracefully is a very important life lesson.
Family Affairs
September 30, 2010EXACTLY XX