Non-competitive sports days are madness
15 07 08 - 03:43 And so, as the school year crawls to an end, we come to sports day. But what used to be a few hours of aggression, athleticism and sheer competitiveness appears to have turned into a damp squib, at least according to one father. Cue guest blogger Geoff, who is unimpressed, to say the least."It’s a delicious irony that a society obsessed with academic league tables is on the verge of expunging competition of another kind.
I have discovered (quite by chance) that my daughter’s school will be holding a non-competitive sports day. The idea that competitive sports day is a negative amazes me. What about competition in the classroom? Sitting tests, answering questions, stickers for being good – all results-based methods for teaching children. Surely being bottom of the class in maths is worse for self-esteem than finishing last in the egg and spoon race.
Healthy mind = healthy body. It’s true! Not just a silly old saying. The rest of the world must be laughing at us. No Wimbledon champion since the 1930’s, more than forty years of hurt for our beleaguered football team. Maybe the school might take an interest in sport instead? No chance of that I’m afraid. We’re told the school provides the regulation three hours a week as deemed enough by the authorities.
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Well we aren't really supposed to be competing with each other in the classroom either - simply improving ourselves - so his argument fails there. However, the emphasis on not competing with each other is indeed a silly notion. It's all about egalitarianism and not upsetting others. Life is supposed to be hard at times, and this sort of namby pamby attitude makes kids grow up unable to cope with minor stresses that are unavoidable.
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