To think David Cameron has got it completely and utterly wrong re sport in schools,a competitive ethos should come after raising levels and a love of sport?itness

[Prarieflower]

Thats it really.Fat lot of good creating a more competitive ethos will do if the maj of teenagers are unfit and loath PE. Competition actually puts many children off sport full stop.

I went to secondary school in the 80s when non sporty types were ridiculed and made to feel like failures during PE lessons and Sports Day. Competition ruled over all else,nobody did sport just for enjoyment or just to maintain fitness.As a result I and many others did all we could to avoid PE lessons and thought we hated all sport.

For years I did nothing and then I discovered I enjoyed hiking,cycling and swimming-just for me.Who knows, if any had been provided and encouraged just for fitness I may well have gone on to take part in competitive events.Having better fitness levels for a start would have made that more likely.

I think schools should be encouraged to help pupils to pick sports they enjoy,they should be expected to take part in something of their choice more frequently. There should be a wide range linked to off school sites and red tape should be cut. There should be better facilities and the selling off of school fields stopped. There should be access to tasters in the specialised stuff like the dreaded javelin and shot put(sp?) which I hated. Sports Day which only celebrates athletics should be only for those that are interested and want to take part.Those that want to go the gym or have a swim should be able to do just that.Other sports should be celebrated not just athletics.

My kids are far more positive re PE than I ever was so I think schools of today are doing something right,it just needs to be extended further.

David Cameron simply doesn't have a clue re state school provision and it's needs.

Not very knowledgeable re sport so I'll await my flaming.I'm just observing and speaking as a previous sport avoider and now as a mum.

My ds is fired up with the velodrome cycling and would love to join a club.No facilities round here and if they cost £££££ he couldn't do it anyway.

Better school facilities are important.

Many primary schools have been doing it for years. They use sports coaches to cover ppa time. Probably cheaper than teachers

You may have made suggestions but you have made suggestions that can never work unless you have a massive budget and a vast array of experience for every state school.

I hated PE at school but that doesn't change the fact it was well taught, I just wasn't sporty unless we were doing rounders

Oh for the school days when one form would compete against another and, in the end, there would be a year champion. That was the basic start of competition in any subject not just sports. There would be a school team and it would play against other schools in tennis, cricket, netball, rounders, hockey ....... Bring back those days when competition instigated teamwork and individual champions. Champions from schools woould compete in County Championships and that's where many were 'found'.

How would improved school facilities help your son be able to do velodrome cycling though?

A school isn't going to build a velodrome and provide individual bikes. Do you have any idea how much that would cost.

Is there a private school with a velodrome?

Yes schools should provide facilities but within reason.

There might well be a velodrome of some sort near where you live. There might just be no publicity about it. People would probably have to join a club to use it though and that's where the money starts to be needed.

Couldn't your DS start with road cycling and then progress to track cycling at a later date?

Agree Sirzy.

I just think working towards making kids enjoy sport is important as others have said if you don't like it you bunk off.Sooooo there are masses of sports out there,help kids to find something they love which will foster enjoyment and fitness.

The only reason that new rower could switch to rowing was she was already very fit.Fitness breeds confidence and ability.

Not entirely sure how a few house races which most schools actually do anyway will make future Olympic champions.Fitness and a love of sport is far more likely to make success.

Schools a red herring IMO. I bet most sportsmen/women really develop their skills and talents at sports club, where they are far more likely to receive specialist coaching in their particular sport. I don't think that many PE teachers have specialist in-depth knowledge of a particular sport so can't provide the necessary coaching to give a child the chance to compete at higher levels.

I could get bogged down in the mire of state school PE memories - which won't be universal. I know my kids do play some matches with state school teams and the standard is good.

Why not focus on good practice instead?

I know that at my children's schools, participation thrives because of matches with other schools (for the better students) and the house system for everyone.

I find that they want to do well in matches (not necessarily win but put on a good show), so will show up for lunchtime and after school training. PE staff will work tirelessly to schedule matches (quite tricky given the weather this summer). Good sportsmanship will be recognised.

At a house level, sixth-formers will lead events throughout the year - netball, gymnastics, rounders tournaments (girls, obviously), with the expectation that everyone in the house takes part in some way. Those with two left feet will be encouraged and celebrated just like everyone else. It is often a lot easier to participate when encouragement comes from peers rather than teachers.

Elite sportsmen and women are accommodated - time off school, work set, working with their tutors - and celebration.

I think if a young person goes through the prep school system and then onto independent school, they will just expect to do games even if they'd rather not.

If you are going to do well in a sport, you have to be prepared to go outside your comfort zone. That is not rocket science.

He does a lot of cycling already(only 8),father and grandad in his 70s ride miles he hates football and many other school sports( athletics being the exception) though which is kind of unfortunate.Will sort something out as we like to support interests(if they don't cost 3333 we haven't got),not all kids are so fortunate though.

££££££

Are you sure there are no cycle clubs near you? They don't start off in a velodrome, most cycle clubs are in parks and very cheap to attend once you have a bike. Half the battle is people having the right information to access sport in the community.

tuhne exactly. I think what is needed is these sports clubs to get out there and identify children with potential (which does already happen to an extent) and help them to encourage them into the sport

Schools would only invest in extra facilities if there was time in the curriculum for kids to use them and there isn't. At the indie school I work in the facilities are good, though not outstanding but they get more use because the school day is longer and the vast majority stay until 6 (when late buses run) to get them home. It is an expectation that staff all have at least one (and usually3/4) late evenings a week to staff this. We have almost no overweight, let alone obese kids at the school and the vast majority enjoy sport at some level. In the state sector, it would be considered a waste of money to invest in superb facilities when the National Curriculum does not allow enough time to make best use of them. Maybe across an LA there could be some central facilities perhaps.

So Claire how are the less able encouraged?At our school only the best are involved in matches-the same few.

But if those kids havent got the parental support then no matter how much they do at school it won't encourage them into sport at the top level.

david cameron has everything wrong imo and he doesn't understand what normal people are like

i don't think he evens knows that most of us have normal bmi, do sport, achieve academically, look after our families and neighbourhoods, do volountary work, cut our neighbours grass whilst they are away, walk our dogs, eat healthily, have normal relationships, cope with our children with disabilities and those without (WITH support which he seems to like to cut ) and we read and doo allsorts of naice crap that naice families do as well

he needs to get out more

only my opinion

Lots of parents just dont see sport as important. How many anti pe teachers comments have there been on here?
Parents dont want to make the effort themselves and think the schools should provide it all.

I agree that the elite training takes place in clubs.

Teachers , however, can do their bit in talent spotting and making contacts with coaches.

If a kid in school keeps all their talent in school, they may never know how good they are. The PE teacher can be key in getting this news out into the wider world.

and if we are talking about state schools and competitive PE. My son competed against all schools in the area for cross country (all mixed, private and state) and he came second and it was his second attempt. I really think he DC needs to get out more, as I have said. Some state schools are good at competitive PE but you shouldn't underestimate exercise as enjoyment for all either.

Yes there are masses of sports but in my dcs senior school years there are about 300 pupils, this is split for PE so the 6 teachers can really offer max 6 sports at any one time. They need about a term of doing each sport to really get any experience of it.

Its not possible to offer them 50 different sports, unless you are going to build them 20 different kinds of venue and have masses of equipment so it can be used for one term.

Schools tend to focus on team or paired sports because its easier to manage and coach I think as well as helps them develop their own teams. If you want your child to be sporty then do it, half of the attitude towards sport definitely comes from the parents.

Kids are also teased for being shit at reading, writing, maths, drawing.

I can't see the harm in encouraging competititve sport - especially if it means the kids who aren't so good academically have a chance to shine

my son goes to state school but I imagine you have gathered that