to think this is unacceptable

[mileend2bermondsey]

Just found out that in my hometown high school PE activities are still split by gender. The boys do football and rugby, the girls do netball and hockey. When the girls do dance, the boys do tennis. I cant believe this seperation is still going on without question.

Apparantly if a child 'kicks up a fuss' about wanting to do a sport of the opposite gender they will be allowed to do it but would be the only boy or girl in the class, hence hardly any do.

I think this is outrageous, all children should be taught all sports available as standard. Why is a seperation based on gender neccessary, and why is this still going on?

Do the people who think girls shouldnt be forced to play sports they (arrodingly to who?) dont want to do (but boys should - because thats equality): also think that girls should automatically do needlework and cooking and not get the opportunity to do wood/metal work because the presumption is most of them wont enjoy it?

And Dawn you prove my point-incomprehension that sport is not for everyone. Your first sentence is extremely narrow minded and patronising.

Ah, but can you opt out, if you want? I wouldn't throw myself head first into a pile of mud, trying to get a Rugby ball, for all the tea in China. I might break a nail!

OP completely missing the point. I don't think children after say 15-16 should be forced to get involved in school sports. If they want to fine- if they don't fine.

The curriculum, certainly at my school was filling up with academic subjects - using 4 periods per week for a non-academic subject I hated and was useless at was a waste of time. I was so pleased when one of them had to be sacrificed to fit in Latin.

Yet another patronising comment about that tired old clichę of breaking nails. Have you all so little imagination about other people's interests?

Sorry ILive misread your post.

GCSE PE it is everyone does everything but when it's the standard two hours a week they try to do something everyone will enjoy.. I know with my class if our teacher would have said right girls we've got rugby this week 90% of us would have just stood in the corner. Boys and girls generally have different interests, it's not sexist just the way it is. We are no longer forcing people to conform to their gender but the idea that boys and girls are the same is just silly.

And the reason I wouldn't enjoy rugby or football is not because 'I'm told I shouldn't' I just don't enjoy it. Some girls love it and that's fine, my school had a girls football team and no one complained. The point of the 2 hours PE a week was to excercise which was a struggle as it was so the teachers try to to things that most of the class will enjoy and get stuck in.

OP completely missing the point. I don't think children after say 15-16 should be forced to get involved in school sports. If they want to fine- if they don't fine

How am I missing the point? I never said 16+ year olds should be forced to do sports they dont want. But all of compulsory school age or at the very least until they decide on their options in year 10/4th year, should. 11-14 year old children be allowed to cherry pick which subjects they want to do from the rest of the cirriculum too?

We are no longer forcing people to conform to their gender
How so?! Girls have to do the 'girls sports' because they (on the assumption of who?) wont like the 'boys sports'

*Shoud 11-14 year olds

Lass sport and physical activity is essential for health and life. It just can't be left to personal preference for children. It's too important for that. Look at the list of diseases activity can combat/prevent/reduce the risk of: heart disease, cancer, stroke, high blood pressure, obesity, stress, depression, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, dementia, Alzheimer's.

Imagine the reduction in cost to the NHS if every did enough exercise, rather than just the 30% currently.

It's not good enough to say some people aren't sporty or don't like activity. There are 1000s of types of activities out there and schools are a big part of trying to help young people find the one they enjoy.

And research also shows that sporty/active people are higher achievers academically anyway, so the curriculum space argument doesn't wash.

*everyone

OP, sorry I got confused about who was saying it should be compulsory until 18 or earlier. I'm glad you at least accept 15-16 year olds get a say in it.

So far as younger children I can agree with you that rugby and football should be available for all if they want. I don't agree they should be compulsory for all. I don't think you can compare sports to the essential requirement of basic literacy and numeracy.

And research also shows that sporty/active people are higher achievers academically anyway, so the curriculum space argument doesn't wash.

I do not believe that. The empirical evidence of the people I was at school with and the people I was at university with does not bear that out. There are people at university who engage in sports but to suggest sporty people are also academically brighter is not credible.

I don't agree they should be compulsory for all

But youre happy with the current system where boys have to do rugby like it or not? Is it only girls that should be given a choice over what sports they want to do in our equal society?

Comulsory for all or none. Sex should not be a dividing factor.

Lass Google "link between academic achievement and activity" and open your mind.

Here's a link to get you started.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-24608813

It's not about being good at sports. It's about being active. Don't confuse the two.

Sport is not essential for physical health. And what about sports injuries?

Physical activity can embrace all sorts of things, walking rather than taking the bus, taking the stairs rather than the lift, gardening, housework.

But youre happy with the current system where boys have to do rugby like it or not? Is it only girls that should be given a choice over what sports they want to do in our equal society?

I think you are getting confused. I said nothing of the kind. But if it needs spelling out again either sex should be free to play whichever they want.

Yes, physical activity is fine. But we live very sedentary lives so sport fills that gap, and for lots of people provides that motivating factor to be active.

And young people need bone strengthening activity that they won't get just from active living. They need to run, or dance, or do aerobics, or play football, or tennis, or anything that produces an impact on bones.

Clough funny then that the brightest children in my year who went on to university (in the days when only a small proportion of children did) were also the sports duffers. The ones who were good at sport had all gone at age 16 or at best went to technical colleges.

Lass Youre not actually saying that most people who excel in sports are thick or you?

*are you?
ffs

Yes, it should rotate just like it does at primary where they do a term per sport. Keep the sexes separate but have them all rotate the sports they are doing. As they get older maybe they should be able to opt out of sports like rugby and do dance/aerobics instead in a mixed group.

Yes Lass. Because your own individual perception is more valid than 100s of scientific studies, scholarly articles and medical research.

Or did you in fact carry out a quantitative, longitudinal research project with a control group, peer reviewed and published?