I didnt say my kids got nothing out of it. One of my dds discovered that she loved working with children through the volunteering. They both discovered that they hated hiking with a backpack grin
I didn't say you did! Many kids feel the same about the hiking!!! They tell me often enough! To be fair, I would have hated it as well when I was 14 and 15!!
I do think you are being a bit much about expecting it to be a life changing experience for everyone
I really don't. It wasn't for my lad. He had not intention of taking it to silver and only did it because it seemed the thing to do at his school and 'all his mates were doing it!' It hasn't made a jot of difference to his life or how his life has turned out. In fact it never got mentioned again once he had completed.
Some of my points have got misinterpreted.
I have never agreed with the statement that it helps get into uni. Certainly not at Bronze and Silver level. You said on an earlier post that if I thought that I was wrong Milord I never thought that ever!
Some else has said that because their son does football I must abhor that. More bullshit. A lot of our kids have opted for football. If they are just doing the same thing week in, week out, and there is no progression it is wasting everyone's time. Because I said something along these lines I am then being accused of being a purist. I am just doing my job as expected of an assessor in this role. I am being paid to make sure that what is being signed off is accurate and in keeping with the D of E. If I was turning a blind eye to things I would expect to be held accountable and my integrity would be questioned.
Some of my other colleagues have refused to sign that section off because there has been no plan in place to show development and there has been no evidence of improvement. There have been plenty of others, in fact the majority of them that have passed the physical section by doing football. So football is not an issue for me, as long as it is planned properly by the young person and the coach.
Progression vague - I suppose if you turn up every week you’d improve anyway. Both my kids just got the normal activities signed off.
Progression shouldn't be vague, that's why your child is given a hand book to record what they have done and what they improved on. It should all be done at the start of the section whether it is the skills or the physical. Turning up every week doesn't indicate progression. If you have paid for your child to do this award and this has happened you have been short changed! The person assessing that activity should be writing a report saying what the starting point was and what the end outcome was and describing how the young person has developed.
The Duke of Edinburgh isn't for everyone. That is why I allow young people to have a few sessions without signing up (I can back date some of their work so if they continue they haven't wasted time) Some realize that it is a commitment and they decide they don't want to do it and that's fine. Some never return to the second or third meeting and I never see again. At least we ( Local Authority) hasn't thrown money away on enrolling them.
One thing that I am unhappy about is how expensive it is for some people. I am staggered when I hear how much some of my friends have paid for their kids to do it, especially those in private schools. I think it has given the impression that the DofE is quite elitist in some areas. I am in a fortunate position of having some funding ( all though it gets cut every year, like everyone else's budget) so those children who would never be able to afford to anything like this get the opportunity to.
Also talking about money, like I said some of you have paid a fair whack for your kids to do this. After reading your comments I am quite disapointed in the service you have received, especially those kids that just turn up every week and get a tick for it.
When we run our courses we want it to challenging, make the kids strive a little harder - some of our kids have never done an extra curricular activity, hell some have never managed a full week in school and have attendance records of around 36% but most of all I want them to look back and think that they have enjoyed it and discovered something about themselves ( even if it is only they hate camping!)
*I agree notacooldad Bronze was no challenge for my kids, I think they gained very little from it...and that has lead me to feel it was mostly pointless. I just find that a little sad
I am passionate about the award, not only because it is part of my job and I get paid for it but because for some kids it does make a difference, not all of them of course ( but to be fair, I never said it did)
My advice to parents whose kids are being encouraged to do the award by the school is to find out how much it costs and what exactly are you getting for your money. Don't rush out and buy loads of new gear. Don''t let your child do it if they are not enthusiastic and only doing it because 'they have to' or 'everyone else is'. (That was my mistake with my lad!!}
Bloody hell! I have wrote an essay! I was just musing on some points and talking about this thread in the office today that has led me to bring some points up.