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 | 11 August 2012 09:52 |
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| tonycsm Photographer  Location United Kingdom East Yorkshire Driffield | Given the excellent sporting success of Team GB at this year's Olympics, is David Cameron right to want to see an end to the "All must have prizes " culture that exists in many of today's state schools and should we be encouraging more competitive sport in our state schools? |
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| www.le-femme.co.uk | ||
| 11 August 2012 09:57 |
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| mph Photographer  Location United Kingdom Cheshire Crewe |   |
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| Amateur - happy to do TF with models with potential and enthusiasm. Website: www.mphodson.co.uk | ||
 | 11 August 2012 10:06 |
| HowardJ Photographer  Location United Kingdom Surrey | I think prizes for all is stupid. You do need to encourage excellence and yes that means some of us aren't going to be superstars. It doesn't mean you can't enjoy playing the sport if you're playing with people of a similar level. The biggest problems the UK seems to have is wrapping kids in cotton wool and health and safety madness. There's a balance to be struck. I remember doing cross country running through streams up to me waist when I was in secondary school. The streams sometimes had bits of barred wire in so you ended up with a few cuts, but you soon learned which parts of the streams to avoid. Looking back on it they were enjoyable times. I suspect private schools tend to have more funding available for a small number of pupils as its the pride of the school type thing. Also some private schools specialise in certain sports, so they'll probably attract parents of kids with an interest in the sport. |
 | 11 August 2012 10:10 |
| magpie1 Photographer Location United Kingdom Tyne and Wear Newcastle | Or, one could consider, that given the differences in resources and facilities available per pupil that the state system has seriously over performed in relation to the 'fat cat' private system. Where is the evidence, apart from what sounds like the Daily Mail,that state schools operate an "all must win something" system? |
11 August 2012 10:18 |
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| Hugh Photographer |  Quote from HowardJI remember doing cross country running through streams up to me waist when I was in secondary school. I had the benefit of a privileged boarding school education... ...which meant that, when we went on cross-country runs, there was a senior boy with a hunting crop (whip) following on a bicycle to encourage the slower kids. Absolute truth. Straight through the centre of town. Probably not approved of now. |
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| It's not Fine Art just because it's in Black and White. | ||
| 11 August 2012 10:23 |
| Crippen Photographer  Location United Kingdom South Yorkshire Sheffield | So long all children (and adults) in the UK, can read & write, understand the English language, have at least a basic grasp of arithmetic, and can say please and thank you... then everything else is a bonus. An enjoyment of games, sport, and exercise, is far more important than sporting achievement. But I do believe everybody in the UK should be able to swim. We do live on an Island, after all. Just my humble opinion. Please feel free to disagree. Dave |
 | 11 August 2012 10:31 |
| anthonyh Photographer Location United Kingdom Essex | My school had two full size rugby pitches and two full size football pitches...a hockey pitch, six tennis courts, a shooting range and swimming pool. A large gym obviously. And various things I can not remember. This all changed for the summer season of course.... Two of the four PE staff had competed at international level and the head of science had been the Welsh basketball coach. Many of the male staff had competed at club or county level in various sports. It was a boarding school...probably half the extra curricular provision was sports orientated in nature from sailing to cross country, archery and so on. There was even inter house boxing! Compared to the facilities at a school like Eton.....ours were pretty average. What chance does the average state school have? My daughter's (state)school had two large playing fields when she attended....I passed it a couple of years ago.....one had turned into a housing development. But even if a state school has the facilities the relentless pressure of league table places and OFSTED scores means that the over riding aim of all teachers is to improve classroom achievements and subject grades. Independent schools don't even need to follow the National Curriculum. |
11 August 2012 10:34 |
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| Hugh Photographer | If you've got a boarding school with 400 teenage males, you want to keep them as tired as possible - hence the need to make them run around. |
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| It's not Fine Art just because it's in Black and White. | ||
| 11 August 2012 10:37 |
| HowardJ Photographer  Location United Kingdom Surrey | Quote from Crippen But I do believe everybody in the UK should be able to swim. We do live on an Island, after all. I believe everyone should be able to ride a bike and swim. Fortunately the UK isn't likely to suddenly sink, so people will probably have time to get to high ground before they need to worry about swimming. |
 | 11 August 2012 10:38 |
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| skymouse Photographer  Location United Kingdom London London | When I was a kid, my perception was that sports existed mainly as a tool for reducng the self-esteem of those who were of a more accademic persuasion. And those who had sporting abilities and dedication but weren't quite so good with numbers were, similarly, made to feel inadequate once indoors. The principle seemed to be find some reason why everyone should feel themselves to be a failure. It was as perverse and negative a means towards "equality" as any of the bizarre approaches claimed to be in use today. I remember one or two youngsters who excelled in both accademic and athletic areas, but they were exceptional. |
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| "Start every day with a smile and get it over with." — W.C. Fields. | ||
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