Schools an physical activity for pupils

@Cabbie21, I couldn’t agree more. Successive governments of different leanings have elbowed out the artistic subjects in favour of the sciences for the last forty years. Science and technology are important but so are the arts. I am a professional musician and agree that music lessons at school are vital for so many. Singing releases feel good hormones, Musical instruments use both the brain and physique. The only type of music that seems to be taught in many schools is pop music but learning about Classical, jazz and folk music broadens the mind and uses the mathematical side of the brain
in the form of logic. It also connects to history. I was at school in the seventies and early eighties and the peripatetic system of instrumental tuition was at its height. We were able to borrow instruments and have free lessons. If you took to the instrument, very often that was when your parents would buy you one of your own, if financial circumstances allowed it. It meant that children who might never have had a chance to learn an instrument otherwise were given the opportunity to do so. School orchestras and youth orchestras were at their peak. I already had private piano lessons but would never have learned the violin had I not had the opportunity at school.
As for PE, I agree that physical exercise is extremely important and many children today do not get enough. However, the way it is traditionally taught in schools is not necessarily the best way. I have never been sporty and hated the emphasis on games at secondary school. It seemed that PE teachers, many of whom seemed to have trained under Attilla the Hun, were only interested in those who were going to be in the hockey, netball or athletics teams and everyone else was unimportant. For those of us who were especially bad at PE it was a ritual humiliation.

Mollygo

Callistemon21

We did the same amount of subjects
I don't think we did.
As well as Mollygo's list, add in the Welsh language, history, and politics in Wales.

Eek! Was that in Primary? I know the language was compulsory even in KS1&2 from 1990, and Welsh history, (providing they can get together enough resources) since September 2022, but politics?

Not politics in primary as far as I know, Mollygo but certainly Welsh language is compulsory from state nursery age to GCSE.

Welsh Politics and history is included in the GCSE Welsh lessons I believe (according to DGC who recently had to give a presentation).

It's occurred to me that the 15 minute city initiative might be helpful in promoting exercise

Rather than unloading all the responsibility onto schools...

We did actually have one (out of the three) PE teacher for a while who wasn't a sadist and who everyone adored

Germanshepherdsmum

I too remember hockey wearing only short sleeved aertex shirt and games skirt. Yes, Maizie, sadism was definitely part of the PE teachers’ training.

I was encouraged by a friend to go to the same college as her. I did not notice that a quarter of the year was training to be P.E. teachers.
The lecturers were more sadistic, especially the women ones than the teachers had been at Grammar school and they had trained in Colditz.
Two occasions will stay with me forever, I missed the swimming bus, eventually got to the pool undressed and was shouted to jump in. I could not swim as could a lot of others. I jumped beside my friend who was clutching the side forgetting she was 6 feet and went under, I was ignominiously pulled to the surface by a hook on a pole through my straps.
The other, I had one tooth on a plate that I forgot to remove and was not allowed to get out of the water. I spent the lesson with it tucked between my costume and the preformed cup.

Reminds me that the Conservative Government between 1979 and 1997 sold off 10,000 school playing fields. Sorry to get political on this thread but it’s something that has always annoyed me.

Callistemon21

^We did the same amount of subjects^
I don't think we did.
As well as Mollygo's list, add in the Welsh language, history, and politics in Wales.

Eek! Was that in Primary? I know the language was compulsory even in KS1&2 from 1990, and Welsh history, (providing they can get together enough resources) since September 2022, but politics?

We had netball, volleyball, tennis, judo, fencing, hockey, swimming, gymnastics and athletics. I can remember begging our PE teacher to be able to do aerobics. Not sure how it fitted in obviously not all activities all year round. I had a good two mile walk to school and back so plenty of exercise.

We did the same amount of subjects
I don't think we did.
As well as Mollygo's list, add in the Welsh language, history, and politics in Wales.

I understand the arguments that there is no time in the curriculum to include physical education but how was it that we managed it in days gone bye? Are days now shorter? We did the same amount of subjects.

Yes some children do not shine in sports but it is a researched fact that children learn better if they have regular exercise. It does not need to be a session of sadistic misery! Will the lack of it and being overweight lay the foundations for a future population of unhealthy adults?

(who remembers playing pirates on the apparatus?)
I do 😁. It seemed to be an end of term treat

If only there was some sort of community based initiative that offered help, advice and support to parents of young children in the matter of healthy eating and exercise. (and a lot more besides) Then all these things wouldn't be tossed to schools to implement.

This really is a daft idea. Where on earth will schools find the time and expertise needed?

Mollygo I always thought primary teachers should be the highest paid. They lay the foundations for education and if the foundations aren't solid then the rest won't be either.

I don't remember having PE or games every day at school; games was once a week and so was PE.

We did, however, walk and cycle more and we didn't have mobile phones so werent inclined to sit around, although I did have my nose stuck in a book much of the time and there was always about 2 or more hours homework every night!

Cabbie21 when I look at our primary curriculum, I too wonder what else they’ll ask us to fit in.
English, maths, science, PE (including the daily run), computing, art, history, geography, design technology, MFL (governors suggested staff went to night school at their own expense to learn or brush up if necessary), PSHCE and music (sing, listen, compose, perform). Considering primary teachers have to be able to plan and deliver all those areas of the curriculum, we deserve a pay rise!
I remember the days when music meant BBC radio Singing Together, (remember Marianina?) or later, BBC TV Music Time with the late Ruth Madoc.

No hauling out keyboards or banks of xylophones as well as the usual percussion.
No reminding children to practise and bring in recorders and listening to parents complain about the noise (they should try being in a class of 30 beginner recorder players). Still, I’d hate to see it squeezed out.

*my PE teacher

Glad to hear that PE lessons may have changed. I'd certainly hope those children not naturally good at maths or science aren't told to sit at the back of the class with no attempt being made to teach them. It was the lack of any instruction once you'd shown your lack of natural ability I objected to. In the gym, for instance, climb the rope. I'd no idea of the technique required and nobody attempted to teach me. I was a natural at high jump, suddenly my PE took notice of me, until the next term when badminton became my next failure......

The PE lessons I have seen arent like that at all Rosie, Saturday morning football on the other hand.... Its quite a complex issue though isnt it, there will be some children who may feel as if they are 'walking around the field' in maths lessons and PE may be an opportunity for them to demonstrate their other skills.

It’s a great idea and children would benefit.
The only way this is feasible is if the school day is longer.
This is unlikely to happen in the state system.

I too remember hockey wearing only short sleeved aertex shirt and games skirt. Yes, Maizie, sadism was definitely part of the PE teachers’ training.

I never had a PE teacher I'd classify as sadistic, but generally I'd say they were only interested in the ones with natural ability. I wasn't good at sport except high jump and we only did athletics for one term. I couldn't hit a tennis ball to save my life so was allocated to being ball girl for the better players. Not sure how that helped my physical fitness. Same for hockey or netball, the best players made up the teams to play each other, the few left over were told to walk around the outside of the field.
If time is to be given to PE, then I hope attitudes have changed.

Forsythia

Another grammar school girl here. We did hockey, swimming, lacrosse, netball, athletics, gymnastics, dance, tennis. As well as all our normal lessons: maths, English, French, Spanish, history, geography, physics, biology, chemistry. We managed. One or two were overweight but very few.

We had all that under our bog standard secondary modern.
Plus, we had a purpose build home economics unit. This consisted of a sitting room, a bedroom, a kitchen and bathroom.
We had our own allotment.
All this was under the wonderful London County Council.

I can still feel my resentment of the games mistress, clad in sheepskin from hat to boots, lecturing us as we froze in games skirt and aertex shirts - no tracksuits then, and school jerseys not allowed on the games field. No wonder I loathed hockey!

Chardy

I can't see how every teenager can do 30mins PE every day.
Lessons aren't 30 mins long
There aren't enough PE teachers in school to teach this.
There aren't enough resources (gym, sports hall, playing fields etc) to accommodate this.
By the time pupils had got changed and outside, it would be time to come in again! 30 mins actual exercise would take up 50 minutes of school time if ten minutes changing time at each end of the lesson was factored in.
Which subjects would give up time so PE dept could have more?
Lastly this is yet another govt idea that hadn't been discussed with any professional body to see if this could work - bit like the 'maths until they're 18' idea.
(Did they say how the pupils would do 30mins exercise out of school?)

I agree with you chardy. You have mentioned all the points that I would have as an ex-teacher.
If all that P.E. is to be taken time has to be taken away from other curriculum subjects, with a very prescriptive curriculum it is almost impossible that's why P.E. time was cut in the first place.
Let alone accommodating all the classes in the gym if the school is lucky enough to have one. Most infant/Junior schools only have a Hall. Some Halls are used for music lessons and are the dining room as well. This prevents lunchtime voluntary P.E. activities that were supplied by enthusiastic teachers.
If you have ever had to supervise a class of 35 4/5-year-olds you would know how long it takes for them to undress and dress let alone the lost shoe that is the same as everyone else's and mum has forgotten to name.
We were encouraged by our parents to play outside "In the Road",so few cars but who would let their children roam these days?
Yet another ill-thought-out idea that teachers will be condemned for saying is impossible to implement.
School Dinners/lunches need to be looked into my 9-year-old GD has realised they are not nutritious on certain days she takes packed lunches.
Our schools mainly had canteens well planned nutritious meals were cooked and served in them away from the school it is not the case today where a lot of food is bought in.and the hall is the dinning room.

Germanshepherdsmum

You must have gone to the same school as me LHD, with the sadistic PE teacher!

I thought sadism was part of the PE teachers' training course 😁