School sports question, do I say something or not?

[rogersmellyonthetelly]

Ds and dd are year 3 and year 2 respectively. In year 3 the boys and girls games are split by sex, the boys play football or rugby and the girls play netball/hockey.
I find this is annoying me intensely. I'm considering saying something to school about why they feel the need to split the class by gender and play different sports. Surely in this day and age the kids should have a choice about what game they want to play? I don't mean that they put their hands up and say we want to play netball this week, just that they shouldnt be disallowed from playing football or netball purely based on gender?
Should I say something? It's a Quaker school by the way, so in some ways is very traditional......

[seeker]

This would not be allowed in a State school- in fact, in Primary tag rugby tournaments you can only win if you have two girls on the pitch at all times.

I would most definitely say something- the Quakers I know are all for equality!

[Hassled]

It's certainly not the norm in state schools at that age - boys and girls tend to do the same sports.

If I were you, I'd say something. Women play football, men play hockey. All the efforts made to take say, women's football, more seriously are pointless if at the ages of 6/7 the school is reinforcing old stereotypes.

That said, at some point you presumably made the decision to send them to a traditional Quaker school. Having done that, can you pick and choose which bits of "traditional" you find acceptable?

[Himalaya]

Sometimes I think alternative schools can get a bit isolated from changes in the outside world, even when they see themselves a progressive.

I would have a (nice quaker) word. Maybe it is just tradition as in habit, which no body has thought to change.

[rogersmellyonthetelly]

It's not so much picking and choosing which values I agree with, the whole ethos of the Quaker school is one I agree with and as pp said they are generally good on equality and I like the respect and other values they teach

[mummytime]

You could also suggest they investigate alternative sports such as Korfball.

[Twonker]

Talk to them about it! They might be rather shamefaced when it is pointed out to them.

[Extrospektiv]

Don't traditional Quaker schools (all schools in fact) have the right to do this? Is having boys' and girls' sports in school inherently misogynist now?

If they don't want to change, I don't see the problem and it could be that a lot more parents prefer things the way they are. Women's equality does not require the eradication of all gender difference, let alone in a 7yr old child's life...

[grimbletart]

But surely it requires that all are given the opportunity to see what they enjoy and are good at?

[seeker]

"Don't traditional Quaker schools (all schools in fact) have the right to do this? Is having boys' and girls' sports in school inherently misogynist now?

If they don't want to change, I don't see the problem and it could be that a lot more parents prefer things the way they are. Women's equality does not require the eradication of all gender difference, let alone in a 7yr old child's life..."
This really is a rather silly post......

[Takver]

I can't see how it would harm to talk to them about it.

Actually, I was really surprised after all these years of primary where they all do the same to see that the kit lists for secondary are different. However since dd doesn't like football and will undoubtedly be happy not to have to play it I'm not going to object

More seriously, I do think it is a shame that certainly in dd's primary school the default is football & tag rugby - its not a case of everyone playing all the games, but instead they have just dropped the traditionally female sports.

Not a major issue, but I suppose another example of equality meaning girls getting to be 'honorary boys' while the traditionally feminine option is dismissed as second best. (Mind you I may be over thinking this since we are in Wales, and therefore anything that isn't rugby is clearly not worth the time of day . . . )

[KRITIQ]

Definitely have a word. It may be a tradition where they haven't thought of the implications.

(whispers - which school?)

[messyisthenewtidy]

"Is having boys' and girls' sports in school inherently misogynist now?"
No one said anything about misogyny, did they? It's more about making sure every child gets the opportunity to do whichever sport they want.

"Women's equality does not require the eradication of all gender difference, let alone in a 7yr old child's life..."
Gender equality requires the eradication of restricted choices based on gender, especially in a 7yr old child's life because that's where it all begins.

But thanks for your helpful contribution.

[WomanlyWoman]

I think you should say something. It's up to you what and how, but it obviously matters to you, (it would to me), so speak up, it's better than saying nothing.

[lisad123]

Dd1 just started an indi scho and the same has come up. Girls play netball, boys play football, but they all play rugby.
I'm not too fussed as dd1 hates football, but tbh they are very old fashioned at her school eg; girls not allowed to wear trousers, no weird hair styles ext

[WomanlyWoman]

girls not allowed to wear trousers?!

[seeker]

Why on earth would you choose a school that's very old fashioned?

[lisad123]

Because there are of course other nice things about the school.

[bruffin]

DD goes to a normal state comp and not allowed to wear trousers, nothing wrong with that! She is also on the rugby team

[EmmelineGoulden]

Netball as a school sport really annoys me. It's OK to offer it, but to make it a staple is a bit pants. I played a lot of netball in school and enjoyed it, (but I enjoy playing almost all sports!), however it's a low skill sport compared to almost all the others that are played at school. Also, success is unreasonably dependent on physical characteristics (i.e. being tall) for a compulsory sport. I am dreading my DCs getting to school sport age because I will be really annoyed if they get made to do netball when the boys don't...

[bruffin]

At dcs schoolthey choose their own pathway., so most of the time they got to do sports they want to do.