5 hrs a week

[Chris]

I doubt that being middle aged, middle class, female or the paper you read has the slightest relevance though, does it, Margarine?

One of the problems is that a big proportion of primary school teachers are middle aged middle class female Daily Express or even worse, Daily Mail readers who are allergic to rain and physical exertion; in my experience they are really glad when it is raining and they 'don't have to do PE' - what kind of role model is that?

[Chris]

Although I loved PE at school I have sympathy with one hill wonder's dislike of it. I don't think Brian Glover (in Kes) type PE teachers did anyone any good.

[Grouse]

Looks like someone pi**ed Marg off - or was it a parents' evening?

[Margarine]

You're right Chris. Sorry I went off on one without brain in gear. What I meant was that attitudes are relevant because that's where kids get theirs from. All the staff here drive to school, many within very easy walking distance, do no sport; many are overweight and have negative perceptions of PE which are transmitted to the kids (except yours truly of course).

[Margarine]

I retract that apology. One of the problems with education in this country is there are too many women teachers and too many of them are just like what I said before. Hormone addled harridans. One more day to go.

[Wylie Coyote]

Role model and attitude is very important.
I used to try and encourage 6th Formers to go out running and at one assembly I tried to advertise a 5 mile hilly forest race on the Sunday morning and the head of 6th Form, in the asssembly said that I must be mad and implied that her and all the students would probably and should probably be nursing a hangover. I was not impressed by her support of my endeavours to encourage students to go running. None showed up on the Sunday.

[Chris]

I had teachers who were real sports enthusiasts in my primary and secondary school. They were proper role models even though the expression wasn't invented then. They stayed after school and did weekends. We didn't do five hours a week we did about thirty hours then we played tennis and skateboarding and fighting and riding our bikes and every other kind of thing.

[Huwski]

I retract that apology. One of the problems with education in this country is there are too many women teachers and too many of them are just like what I said before. Hormone addled harridans. One more day to go.

Last day at school, 1st ever term in 1st ever teaching job. The school I work at is a designated Sports Academy, and, for my sins, I volunteered to record times for their sports day. Less than 50% participation overall, the highest participation activities were ones where pupils could stand still and chuck things, lowest ( less than 1%!!!!!!) Were 400/800/1500M events.

The director of specialism (think that's her title????) was eulogising about what a great sporting event it had been

Am I expecting too much of todays' kids?

BTW - Javelins, when did schools stop using the pointy metal ones? or do some still use them? I had a year 10 pupils chuck a glorified dart 30m(!!!!) would love to know what he could have achieved with a proper javelin

[Guick Dotto]

At my school we do orienteering, climbing, hillwalking, fell running, cross country, ice skating, swimming, canoeing, tag rugby, dance, kwik kriket, rounders, tennis, soccer but no gym as we haven't got a gym. That's against the law, by the way, to not do gym.
It would be nice if there weren't so many laws about what we have to do and don't have to do as most teachers are pretty keen on getting kids to find things to be good at. Trust them.
It would be nice if schools were given money to pay for buses to get the kids to tournaments instead of paying out enormous amounts to convince teachers that sport is a good thing and that obesity is bad for you on inspirational courses.
It would be nice if teenagers didn't have so many exams so that they had time to go orienteering on Sunday morning or to the local crag on a weekday night or whatever else they might want to choose to do.
It would be nice if they didn't have to waste time doing ICT at school when they can already do it better than the teachers.
It would be nice if shops were closed on Sunday mornings then everybody would have nothing else to do but go orienteering and fell running etc

Once swimming instructors were paid for by the local authority then they were all sacked by Thatcher and that's when playing fields started being sold off so that schools could afford to pay for market consultants.
Time to stop it's a bit early.