Wasted school time

Y'know, I always remember learning calculus at school (happily loving it) but never used it once nor do I remember a single bit of it. However, I can still sing most of the songs I learned at school even though I didn't particularly like some of them. 'Come buy my caller herring' springs to mind. Ugh! Learning is an all encompassing thing and fun helps it gel. My Mum used to say we should learn at least one new thing every day. I usually manage that. Current problem is retention! I console myself by the thought that the memory has a finite capacity. Only wish I was in control of what it retained. Not half some rubbish in there........

I'm not a great football fan nor am I English but loved seeing the kids so animated and obviously enjoying themselves to much. They will remember that day in their school life for the rest of their lives, when maths, English, geography, etc. have long been forgotten! Glad they could have some fun!

Singing is good for you it does all sorts of things. For the kids it focuses them on learning words, listening to music and learning the tune, listening to each other and the music teacher and teaches them to be part of a team and take part. These are all skills they will need later in life, more so than knowing the capital of some far flung obscure country.

I’m no football fan and nor was my youngest grandson until he realised that the kids he liked most in his class liked to play football at playtime. I have never known him happier than the last few weeks. Every child in the class got ‘ given’ a country and the Somali child who got England is now super excited. My grandson went to school with pockets loaded with red and yellow cards which he produces for any kind of infringement of rules, not just football, much to the amusement of everyone. Children have had such a difficult time and it’s lovely to see them so enthused. There is no hatred of other teams - there are probably at least 9 nationalities in the class and it has been an opportunity for children to appreciate where there classmates’ families originate. There was sympathy for the Danish ‘giants’ this morning and appreciation of how well they played and their trials and tribulations in the contest.

As for the singing, how therapeutic that is. It takes children no time at all to learn a song. Are they supposed to be at their desks ‘catching up’ with maths and the rest every minute of the school day? The competition has taken their minds off the virus which in our area is rampant and the miseries and losses of last year.

Probably most of the boys in the class are keen on football, but whether they are or not is completely beside the point.

They were clearly enjoying themselves and as a retired teacher I can assure you that children learn better if they are enjoying themselves than if they are bored stiff, or couldn't care less.

I haven't heard the song in question, but if the melody and text are just as banal as that kind of song usually is, it would not take long either to teach or to learn.

So not a lot of time was necessarily spent on it.

Towards the end of term time is usually spent doing something that is good fun and were the educational content may not be over-high, but so what?

Why should this year be different? It has been a bleak year for us all. Please let the last days of term be as normal as possible.

Grandma70s

I didn’t like it. What if the children don’t support England, or (like me) don’t give a damn either way? I’m all for singing together, but there are better things to sing.

I agree, this was a pointless exercise.

Oh dear it was going so well and the misery descended again

Come on then what should they have sung?

Honestly I despair.

Has OP ever returned by the way ?

Oh for heavens sake!
Getting a group of children together to sing a song that is connected to football is not indoctrination! It would have been different if they had been singing the Red Flag or some such!
With all the things going on as regards the football, you don't have to be a football fan to become involved !
I would normally rather watch paint dry that watch a football match , but did watch the last 2 England matches - help, I must have been brainwashed!
Did you not have music lessons at primary school where you were taught to sing various songs ? That was very much part of the curriculum- there are many more ways of learning besides sitting at a desk. They may well have been able to learn all about Denmark as well - so that's Geography thrown in for good measure!

It would have been different if they had been singing the Red Flag or some such!

Ssshhhh! That would have been much better for some!

When I was primary school in the 50s we used to have celebrations every year for Trafalgar Day and Commonwealth Day. Lots of singing and dressing up and flag waving. Nothing much to do with our school work but that was why we enjoyed it.

I'd rather have them singing songs about football than being wheeled out for yet another of Boris's photo ops.

Team building and patriotism is important for children to learn and feel part of our national pride.
These children have had months of not feeling part of a team.
Some of these children have had teachers who didn’t want to work from home or do screen work. Some of these children have not been well served by our country - by some precious teachers who don’t want to go the extra mile. Ok some schools and teachers have been wonderful. Some teachers have been awful.
Let the children have fun.

Nanof3: It was a bit of fun, lighten up. Indoctrination is, surely, if they are force fed religious babble.

Some of these children have had teachers who didn’t want to work from home or do screen work. Some of these children have not been well served by our country - by some precious teachers who don’t want to go the extra mile LovelyLady
Teachers do what they're told by the management of the school. 'Precious teachers' would've been on a verbal warning then a written warning 15 months ago if they'd not been doing what was asked.
Extra mile? Many have been teaching classes, covering for absent colleagues and coping with teaching the pupils at home with Zoom and/or paper.

The small primary school near us has sent an email to parents to say that the school gates will be open at normal time on Monday, they will then re-open at 10.30am so that those children that have stayed up to watch the Final on Sunday evening can have extra time in bed.

Parents have to notify the school ASAP as to what time their child shall be starting school that day. (our 6yr old GC will be going in at the later time, better to miss one lesson than be overtired throughout the day)

Come buy my caller herring'

I think all school children should sing this one but first we have to get you to sing it to us, Kim19 ????
(I've never heard of it)

Well I seem to have stirred up a lot of posters who have taken umbrage at my view that football, or any other sport for that matter, should not be rammed down children's throats.
I know that my GS would not have enjoyed being part of such an activity and I recall my DS when having to take part in any such performance standing at the back looking totally bored opening and closing his mouth in time to the music in silent protest. He also is not a football fan but went on to do very well in martial arts.

Well I seem to have stirred up a lot of posters who have taken umbrage at my view that football, or any other sport for that matter, should not be rammed down children's throats.

Perhaps the same could be said of maths, physics, English, history, geography, comparative religions, etc and, where we live, Welsh ........

The list could be very long.

Nanof3 Without schoolchildren being encouraged to engage in sports any sport will do, it doesn't have to be football we face an epidemic of obesity related diseases; diabetes being just one. I can't address your assertion that football is being rammed down their throats because I've seen zero evidence of this in my GC's schools. As far as I'm aware, netball, rounders, cricket, rugby, swimming and lacrosse are all available for any pupil to have a go at. Singing whilst doing it is optional.

Nanof3

Well I seem to have stirred up a lot of posters who have taken umbrage at my view that football, or any other sport for that matter, should not be rammed down children's throats.
I know that my GS would not have enjoyed being part of such an activity and I recall my DS when having to take part in any such performance standing at the back looking totally bored opening and closing his mouth in time to the music in silent protest. He also is not a football fan but went on to do very well in martial arts.

Because your son and grandson didn’t like singing or sport, it shouldn’t happen ?

Football etc is not rammed down children’s throats, sorry but that’s a ridiculous statement

Chewbacca

Nanof3 Without schoolchildren being encouraged to engage in sports any sport will do, it doesn't have to be football we face an epidemic of obesity related diseases; diabetes being just one. I can't address your assertion that football is being rammed down their throats because I've seen zero evidence of this in my GC's schools. As far as I'm aware, netball, rounders, cricket, rugby, swimming and lacrosse are all available for any pupil to have a go at. Singing whilst doing it is optional.

Totally agree Chewbacca our 6yr old GC goes into school at 8am once a week for archery, he loves it.

All the GC do multiple sports activities at their schools not just team games all geared towards a healthy body and mind.

I did lots and lots of singing at school, but we sang good music, lovely folk songs and hymns (never mind the religious content and concentrate on the tunes and often beautiful words). We sang Jerusalem in junior school, and Purcell and Schubert when a bit older. Not football songs - though in a girls’ school I suppose it would have been lacrosse songs - no such thing, I’m sure!

Like many others, I suspect, I was a member of our all girls school netball team and we often went by school bus to play against the posh high school in the next town. We used to sing Alouette, Gentille Alouette at the top of our voices, whether we'd won or lost! (We were a lot like St Trinians!)

I can remember ‘Singing Together’ at primary school. Some of the songs were very non pc especially ‘polywollydoodle’. It is very singable and I have to stop myself from one verse in particular.

Now that's a blast from the past 25Avalon!

Call, believe me you WOULDN'T like to hear me sing. I can ruin even the best of songs. My heart is happy so I'll settle for that.