Competition is not the only way to enjoy exercise at school

WHATis supposed to be so good about forcing all children to take part in competitive games and sports? There are plenty of non-competitive activities in which they can be involved.

I have always been a determined co-operator. At my boys’ grammar school (1940s) all the teachers were involved in some way with the games and sports programmes. I wanted to be a teacher so I expected that part of my job would be to become involved in varied activities.

I did have one small problem with my school’s attitudes to my involvement in the gym, games and sports programme. Gym and team games were compulsory.

As a co-operator, I found this intolerable. I would roll up to the gym with either a note or no kit. This ensured that I would be in detention for the Wednesday and/or Saturday afternoon lessons, ie games and sports. Sometimes there would be cross country runs on offer, as well as organised games. I really enjoyed going on a cross-country run, dodging detention.

In 1952 I went to King Alfred’s Teacher Training College in Winchester and, of course, got ready to do my duty with regard to refereeing and umpiring games. A notice was posted on the gymnasium notice board telling us that a new Morris dance side was being started in the city and I become a founder member of the Winchester Morris side.

I taught in secondary moderns with too few pupils in any one age group to be able to play in school leagues. This did not stop my wife and me organising walks, basic camping activities, making cooking ware out of empty syrup tins. It did not stop us training boys for the D of E award. I instituted walking and exploring groups and ran popular folk dance clubs. These activities can be co-operative rather than competitive.

From: David T Craggs, Sand-le-Mere, Tunstall, East Yorks.

IF David Cameron is honest with himself, I’m sure he will admit that he hasn’t the slightest idea on the level of competitive sport in our state schools.

Certainly Ofsted reports give no indication. If he is genuinely concerned about this issue, which has come up regarding the Olympic “legacy” and sale of playing fields, may I suggest the following starting point.

I would ask every state school, primary and secondary, a simple question – did you have a sports day and a swimming gala this year? If not, give your reasons. If you did, please send me copies of your programmes for both events. The information gained from such a survey I suspect would reveal just what a sorry state competitive sport in our state schools is in. Of course I may be wrong, and I hope I am.

Back in the early 1970s when I taught in a Wakefield secondary school, our annual sports day and swimming gala were run like the Olympic Games.

In fact the only events in athletics that we did not cover were the steeplechase (no water jump), the hammer (too technical) and the pole vault (no thick airbed).

Our marathon was a cross country run around the estate where the school was situated. A risk assessment was unheard of. In 20 years of sports days at the school, I cannot remember one incident that at the time caused concern.

I wonder how many of today’s state schools can better the opportunities we gave our children to partake in competitive sport all those years ago?