Allowed out of class to play sport

[JustNanna]

My 12 yo DGS is in Year 8. He's good at sport. In Y7, he missed many classes because he was allowed to play sport. He missed core subject classes and his grades dropped. When my DD asked the school to make sure he didn't miss classes, she was ignored. Is this happening in other schools?

Yes, fixtures often happen during the school day. They are usually expected to catch up but I can't imagine it's enforced much.

Maybe they have a point in the USA where to participate you often need to maintain a level of academic attainment. They seem to manage to get less academic kids on teams nonetheless. Priorities, I guess!

I guess he chose to join the team for whatever sport or sports it is.

He could always stop being on the team if it's affecting his schoolwork so much.

So you think it's ok? He chose to join football and rugby as after school activities. At the end of the last school year his report showed 29 absences from school and a comment that he must improve. 7 were from being ill with chest infection. When challenged the school agreed that the remainder were absences recorded because he wasn't in class - but out playing team games. From a boy who passed 11plus and was in the top stream for all classes in Yr 7, he is now not in top stream and is expected to get maybe Cs. Think it's time to leave Raynes Park High School.

I would cut back and make the sports activities after school and weekends only.

What other benefits does he get from this sport? What if he gave up the sport and his grades didn't improve? Sport is generally a fantastic motivator for young people. Good schools often only allow students to miss lessons if they catch up and have to sign agreements about study and commitment to training. A young athlete I know was regularly seen swotting up on his A level chemistry after a training session as he didn't want to be dropped from the team.Its not the sport that is the problem its how the school manages the teams!.