I fail to see why PE is regarded as some kind of different subject.
If a child were struggling at Maths, English or History the parents would expect a report card, and maybe some special assistance.
But with PE the press get all PC.
If the government are so concerned about child health why do they keep selling off school and community playing fields -more than 200 sold under Labour . Perhaps they need the money to fund daft and pointless schemes like this one
Steve – Secondary school children are given PE grades on their report cards. Unfortunately it’s usually too late to get them – especially girls – interested in sport by the time they reach senior school.
Not sure what to make of this headline. The mere fact it’s on the Mail front page suggests it’s of the “Nanny State” genre, but on the other hand notifying parents of a potential health problems is surely a good thing.
Surely it is pointless to point out how kids are failing in all other subjects as well, then? PE is as much a part of the curriculum as anything else, keeps metabolism high to prevent weight gain and keeps the mind alert. Surely it is in all our interests to try and deal with poor health and sluggishness while children are still being watched over every day instead of letting them grow up with no physical motivation?
And how many playing fields have been built as well? I know that anecdotal evidence doesn’t mean much, but both my primary and secondary schools expanded their outdoor facilties before and after I was there. And surely playing fields and the like fall under council control, so saying that X number have been closed doesn’t mean it is automatically the fault of Labour.
‘If the government are so concerned about child health why do they keep selling off school and community playing fields -more than 200 sold under Labour .’
That is a ridiculous state of affairs, but that sort of thing was also done by the Tories, so successive governments need to take the blame for this.
It is automatically the fault of the Labour government because they gave the Education Secretary a final say in whether school playing fields could be sold off.
Especially girls – yes I do think so. And so does pretty much everyone else. According to the WSFF :’Less than 20% of women are doing enough exercise to benefit their health and girls leave school half as active as boys’.
and er.. its daft and pointless because parentss already know whether their children are fit and active. A letter will be about as effective as a health warning on a packet of cigarettes. And I would dearly love to see any one of you try to persuade a class of reluctant teenagers to participate in any kind of sport or exercise.
“and er.. its daft and pointless because parentss already know whether their children are fit and active.”
Well I’m not so sure about that. My daughter is 14 – clearly not overweight and I make a point of checking how she is getting on academically – but whether she could run 100 yards without gasping for breath …. well, frankly, I have no idea.
Right… so you have no idea what your 14 year old daughter does when she’s not at school?
Does she do any after-school activities eg badminton/ squash/ netball/ football/ dance classes/ cheerleading/ swimming etc.
Does she walk to school or anywhere else eg into town? Does she go ice skating, or kayaking or wind-surfing or does she hang down the skate park getting stoned and talking about house parties?
Surely you know whether your daughter has an active or sedentary lifestyle and whether she does any exercise. If you don’t know that – then frankly (and every offense intended) you’re not much of a parent. You don’t need to time your daughter over 100 yards to know if she’s fit and healthy.
wow, karlo.
i think it’s safe to assume from what knox said that their daughter isn’t a member of any organised sport group. not being so doesn’t constitute being unhealthy, or unfit, or even not incredably fit. at 14 i’d assume most of any young persons activities are “going out with friends”, which could cover a range of activities both exhaustive and sedate. you’d only know if you asked, and frankly, if knox isn’t asking it’s probably because she trusts that whatever her child is doing, its safe, so asking for a rundown of who’s what’s where’s and how many calories do you think you burnt is just pointlessly nosey.
sounds like a pretty good parent to me actually.
Ditto. What’s happened to it? Been a few days now. No info about it on Mailwatch twitter or Merk’s twitter (unless I’ve overlooked it- in which case apologies).
er… so your definition of a good parent would be one who doesn’t know where their 14 year old daughter is or what she is doing. Does KnoxJunior agree?
Where do you think 14 year old girls get the money for their exhaustive and sedate activities? I did spot the story in the Sun about the 14 year old lap dancer but most girls of that age are still relying on their parents for pocket money and taxi services.
I’m guessing you don’t come into contact with a lot of 14 year old girls in your line of work becasue you sure don’t know anything about them.
last time i checked (my line of work is irrelevant, i didn’t come into being as an adult, and i don’t live isloated from the rest of the world) most of the things kids get up to are free, or covered by basic pocket money. i’m not suggesting knox doesn’t know where their child is, just they there is no reason for them to know, or what to know, every detail of what they’re doing or how active of sedate it might be.
“going to alice’s” could mean 4 hours in front of the telly with a mate, or 4 rounds of “dance dance revolution”, and accepting the usual 14 year old rundown of “we did stuff” isn’t bad parenting.
In fact I do pretty much know exactly what she is up to out of school. – within limits. You can’t wrap them up in cotton wool until the day they leave home – even though you are constantly told that there is a paedophile behind every bush and every other person on Facebook is an insane rapist.
I do know she doesn’t do a great deal of sporty things out of school and, remiss of me though it might be, I have tended not to head straight for the PE teacher on parent evenings. Maybe I should – but in any case I really fail to see the harm in the school assessing her fitness and advising me of it. And I would definitely act on it if necessary. Thankyou for your kind words ms morbo. I am her father by the way.
“If the government are so concerned about child health why do they keep selling off school and community playing fields -more than 200 sold under Labour . Perhaps they need the money to fund daft and pointless schemes like this one”
Karlo
You’ve ripped this right out of the actual Daily Mail!
I have no idea why you think posting made up “information” from the actual paper, this web site is satiring for being so dishonest, is vauable input!
Your defence is of your darling paper. Not the actual topic.
Grading school childrens fitness (like any school subject) is a very succesful practice, coming out of the United States under the Obama administration.
It allows schools to assess physical health, and advise parents on how they can help their children.
Again, you’re defending the paper. Little more.
It’s very good policy. The Mail’s problem is that it doesn’t want the government interfering with anything to do with individuals (nanny state)
And then spends the rest of it’s time complaining that the government doesn’t do enough!
fitness testing for 10-15 year olds became manadatory in California in 2003 and Texas in 2007. If my memory serves me right Obama didn’t become president till 2008. So it’s just possible you’ve got your facts in a wee bit of a muddle.
Many schools in the UK already do bleep tests and children, as I’ve mentioned before, already get grades for PE. I suggest you check your report card at the end of term and you’ll see what I mean.
Grading school pupils fitness is yet another well-meaning but daft and pointless idea. It won’t get them fitter or stop them getting fatter. What young people need is more sport and activities not more testing.
(Invading Iraq and Afghanistan were also US intiatives – and look how well they turned out.)
“(Invading Iraq and Afghanistan were also US intiatives – and look how well they turned out.)”
Oooooookaaaaay…….now we’re on really dodgy ground.
To argue that any initiative coming from the USA is dodgy, on the grounds that some initiatives coming recently from the USA have been dodgy, is what they call in logic terms “complete tosh”.
Besides, I thought Karlo was all in favour of the US approach to health matters.
Anyway, I fail to see the inherent news value in this – as others have pointed out, reports on physical fitness from schools are hardly a new thing. Just an excuse to whinge, really.
So Have I understood the argument correctly? Labour have sold 200 school playing fields to fund writing a letter to every parent about their childs fitness levels.
Or is the truth a little more complicated.
‘Perhaps they need the money to fund daft and pointless schemes like this one’
I probably shouldn’t have said that but no-one else has mentioned it. Sale proceeds from selling off playing fields have to be re-invested in specific areas. Writing letters probably isn’t covered by the legislation. I only meant to make the point that if the government is really committed to improving children’s fitness it will stop the sell-offs.
The 200 figure only includes the land areas large enough to be called a sports field. More than 1,300 parcels of land too small to be called a sports field have been sold off since Labour came to power.
Labour hasn’t sold them but has allowed them to be sold.
Next week “Lazy clinic staff noted children had potential health problems but failed to inform parents”
or “FAT CHILD TIME BOMB- Government complacent about child health”
Bahhh! That damn nanny state at it again! But it’s OK for the DM to declare it’s “Good Health” section on the top right!
I fail to see why PE is regarded as some kind of different subject.
If a child were struggling at Maths, English or History the parents would expect a report card, and maybe some special assistance.
But with PE the press get all PC.
Is it any of our business why Kate Winslet has split from her husband?
Nice to see the plug for ‘Good Health’ whilst slating the health police.
No, unfit children should be named and shamed in a gigantic poster campaign. It’s the only way they’ll learn. (That, or birched in public.)
If the government are so concerned about child health why do they keep selling off school and community playing fields -more than 200 sold under Labour . Perhaps they need the money to fund daft and pointless schemes like this one
Steve – Secondary school children are given PE grades on their report cards. Unfortunately it’s usually too late to get them – especially girls – interested in sport by the time they reach senior school.
Especially girls? I don’t think so.
Not sure what to make of this headline. The mere fact it’s on the Mail front page suggests it’s of the “Nanny State” genre, but on the other hand notifying parents of a potential health problems is surely a good thing.
No Tory authority has ever sold a playing field then Karlo?
Care to expand on how it’s pointless? The point seems very clear to me.
Surely it is pointless to point out how kids are failing in all other subjects as well, then? PE is as much a part of the curriculum as anything else, keeps metabolism high to prevent weight gain and keeps the mind alert. Surely it is in all our interests to try and deal with poor health and sluggishness while children are still being watched over every day instead of letting them grow up with no physical motivation?
And how many playing fields have been built as well? I know that anecdotal evidence doesn’t mean much, but both my primary and secondary schools expanded their outdoor facilties before and after I was there. And surely playing fields and the like fall under council control, so saying that X number have been closed doesn’t mean it is automatically the fault of Labour.
Man, I sure did say surely a lot. Surely a sign of surely-ness on the brain.
fat kids should be dealt with like they were when I was in school and that’s by being whipped with a wet towel
OUTRAGE AS PEOPLE DO THE JOBS THEY’RE PAID TO.
‘If the government are so concerned about child health why do they keep selling off school and community playing fields -more than 200 sold under Labour .’
That is a ridiculous state of affairs, but that sort of thing was also done by the Tories, so successive governments need to take the blame for this.
It is automatically the fault of the Labour government because they gave the Education Secretary a final say in whether school playing fields could be sold off.
Especially girls – yes I do think so. And so does pretty much everyone else. According to the WSFF :’Less than 20% of women are doing enough exercise to benefit their health and girls leave school half as active as boys’.
and er.. its daft and pointless because parentss already know whether their children are fit and active. A letter will be about as effective as a health warning on a packet of cigarettes. And I would dearly love to see any one of you try to persuade a class of reluctant teenagers to participate in any kind of sport or exercise.
oops yes sorry – I took the bit out about how the situation was much worse under the Tories
Any progress report on the loss of the Forum?
“and er.. its daft and pointless because parentss already know whether their children are fit and active.”
Well I’m not so sure about that. My daughter is 14 – clearly not overweight and I make a point of checking how she is getting on academically – but whether she could run 100 yards without gasping for breath …. well, frankly, I have no idea.
Right… so you have no idea what your 14 year old daughter does when she’s not at school?
Does she do any after-school activities eg badminton/ squash/ netball/ football/ dance classes/ cheerleading/ swimming etc.
Does she walk to school or anywhere else eg into town? Does she go ice skating, or kayaking or wind-surfing or does she hang down the skate park getting stoned and talking about house parties?
Surely you know whether your daughter has an active or sedentary lifestyle and whether she does any exercise. If you don’t know that – then frankly (and every offense intended) you’re not much of a parent. You don’t need to time your daughter over 100 yards to know if she’s fit and healthy.
wow, karlo.
i think it’s safe to assume from what knox said that their daughter isn’t a member of any organised sport group. not being so doesn’t constitute being unhealthy, or unfit, or even not incredably fit. at 14 i’d assume most of any young persons activities are “going out with friends”, which could cover a range of activities both exhaustive and sedate. you’d only know if you asked, and frankly, if knox isn’t asking it’s probably because she trusts that whatever her child is doing, its safe, so asking for a rundown of who’s what’s where’s and how many calories do you think you burnt is just pointlessly nosey.
sounds like a pretty good parent to me actually.
” Original Paul @ March 16th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
Any progress report on the loss of the Forum?”
Ditto. What’s happened to it? Been a few days now. No info about it on Mailwatch twitter or Merk’s twitter (unless I’ve overlooked it- in which case apologies).
er… so your definition of a good parent would be one who doesn’t know where their 14 year old daughter is or what she is doing. Does KnoxJunior agree?
Where do you think 14 year old girls get the money for their exhaustive and sedate activities? I did spot the story in the Sun about the 14 year old lap dancer but most girls of that age are still relying on their parents for pocket money and taxi services.
I’m guessing you don’t come into contact with a lot of 14 year old girls in your line of work becasue you sure don’t know anything about them.
last time i checked (my line of work is irrelevant, i didn’t come into being as an adult, and i don’t live isloated from the rest of the world) most of the things kids get up to are free, or covered by basic pocket money. i’m not suggesting knox doesn’t know where their child is, just they there is no reason for them to know, or what to know, every detail of what they’re doing or how active of sedate it might be.
“going to alice’s” could mean 4 hours in front of the telly with a mate, or 4 rounds of “dance dance revolution”, and accepting the usual 14 year old rundown of “we did stuff” isn’t bad parenting.
In fact I do pretty much know exactly what she is up to out of school. – within limits. You can’t wrap them up in cotton wool until the day they leave home – even though you are constantly told that there is a paedophile behind every bush and every other person on Facebook is an insane rapist.
I do know she doesn’t do a great deal of sporty things out of school and, remiss of me though it might be, I have tended not to head straight for the PE teacher on parent evenings. Maybe I should – but in any case I really fail to see the harm in the school assessing her fitness and advising me of it. And I would definitely act on it if necessary. Thankyou for your kind words ms morbo. I am her father by the way.
“If the government are so concerned about child health why do they keep selling off school and community playing fields -more than 200 sold under Labour . Perhaps they need the money to fund daft and pointless schemes like this one”
Karlo
You’ve ripped this right out of the actual Daily Mail!
I have no idea why you think posting made up “information” from the actual paper, this web site is satiring for being so dishonest, is vauable input!
Karlo
Your defence is of your darling paper. Not the actual topic.
Grading school childrens fitness (like any school subject) is a very succesful practice, coming out of the United States under the Obama administration.
It allows schools to assess physical health, and advise parents on how they can help their children.
Again, you’re defending the paper. Little more.
It’s very good policy. The Mail’s problem is that it doesn’t want the government interfering with anything to do with individuals (nanny state)
And then spends the rest of it’s time complaining that the government doesn’t do enough!
jake
fitness testing for 10-15 year olds became manadatory in California in 2003 and Texas in 2007. If my memory serves me right Obama didn’t become president till 2008. So it’s just possible you’ve got your facts in a wee bit of a muddle.
Many schools in the UK already do bleep tests and children, as I’ve mentioned before, already get grades for PE. I suggest you check your report card at the end of term and you’ll see what I mean.
Grading school pupils fitness is yet another well-meaning but daft and pointless idea. It won’t get them fitter or stop them getting fatter. What young people need is more sport and activities not more testing.
(Invading Iraq and Afghanistan were also US intiatives – and look how well they turned out.)
“And I would dearly love to see any one of you try to persuade a class of reluctant teenagers to participate in any kind of sport or exercise.”
Quite a few are adept at horizontal jogging.
“(Invading Iraq and Afghanistan were also US intiatives – and look how well they turned out.)”
Oooooookaaaaay…….now we’re on really dodgy ground.
To argue that any initiative coming from the USA is dodgy, on the grounds that some initiatives coming recently from the USA have been dodgy, is what they call in logic terms “complete tosh”.
Besides, I thought Karlo was all in favour of the US approach to health matters.
Anyway, I fail to see the inherent news value in this – as others have pointed out, reports on physical fitness from schools are hardly a new thing. Just an excuse to whinge, really.
Karlo-WOW your good!!
So Have I understood the argument correctly? Labour have sold 200 school playing fields to fund writing a letter to every parent about their childs fitness levels.
Or is the truth a little more complicated.
‘Perhaps they need the money to fund daft and pointless schemes like this one’
I probably shouldn’t have said that but no-one else has mentioned it. Sale proceeds from selling off playing fields have to be re-invested in specific areas. Writing letters probably isn’t covered by the legislation. I only meant to make the point that if the government is really committed to improving children’s fitness it will stop the sell-offs.
The 200 figure only includes the land areas large enough to be called a sports field. More than 1,300 parcels of land too small to be called a sports field have been sold off since Labour came to power.
Labour hasn’t sold them but has allowed them to be sold.
There was a rather lovely article in the Observer a couple of years ago if anyone is interested (no I didn’t think so but here’s a link anyway) http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/mar/30/schools.uk