7 out of 10 school children drop out of sport by 16

generalebriety

No, I understood what you meant, I was just taking the piss slightly, because I'm not in favour of PE becoming an 'important subject', like you say. True, it may be undervalued right now, but my PE teachers were obsessed with making us humiliate ourselves, and I'm fairly sure most others are too. There's something about PE teachers that gives them a childish sense of humour and no sense of shame that allows them, legally, to humiliate us in front of our class - the more unfit you are, the more you end up doing. "Cruel to be kind" may be the intention, but let's be honest - if you want to do athletics or cross-country, you go into an athletics or cross-country team. If you don't, like me, then 40 minutes of humiliation hobbling round a track per week won't do you any good. Imagine if you had one maths lesson every week, for 40 minutes, where you (for the whole lesson) were forced to do mental arithmetic out loud in front of the class. Faster. Faster! What's the matter with you?! You can't do a long division!?!? And so on.

When PE gets taught the same way as maths or English, then fine, you'll have my support. Until then, I'll keep my dignity and sneak home every week. :smile:

You're viewing this from a personal perspective that does not generalise to the population as a whole.

Reply 43

NViasko

You're viewing this from a personal perspective that does not generalise to the population as a whole.

I don't think I said anything that can't be backed up.

Reply 44

College Guy 1987

2

I think PE was a joke at my high school. We had one 40 minute PE 'lesson' per week. 10 mins were wasted getting changed in and out of our PE kit. Showers were compulsory (75 muddy lads all showering at the same time - yuck), and we spent 25/30 mins running around a field in the pouring rain.
fun...
not!

If more emphasis on team games was placed on PE, and less on winning races/time trials, then perhaps I would have been more willing to participate and continue after high school.

Reply 45

generalebriety

I don't think I said anything that can't be backed up.

But your perspective doesn't generalise to everyone else!

Reply 46

arpeggio

12

PE was compulsory until Year 10, when we started a "Health and Fitness" programme that you were supposed to do but most people didn't really bother. I liked that though, because you had a choice of what sports you wanted to do, and you could just go in the gym or the swimming pool if you wanted to. But PE up to Year 9 was horrible - we had to wear these "gym knickers" (basically navy blue knickers) for gymnastics with nothing over the top! The rest of the time we wore PE kilts, which weren't much better as they always used to blow back in the wind when we did cross country etc... (btw I went to an all-girls school in case you were wondering!)

Ah I'm so glad that's over! I enjoyed aspects of PE - well the things I was good at anyway - but I can see how it would put people off. However, I'm now doing more sport than I was during my compulsory PE days. I'd say it's a personal choice, but it really should be encouraged more... also, schools should definitely stop making PE such a humiliating experience, especially with the kit (although I have a feeling our PE kit was a lot worse than people's from other schools :p:

)

Reply 47

Psyk

1987 College Guy

If more emphasis on team games was placed on PE, and less on winning races/time trials, then perhaps I would have been more willing to participate and continue after high school.

Hell no, team games are worse.

I hate it when people take it too seriously and they take it out on the fat kid (ok I know it's not just fat kids that suck at sport, but I'm talking from experience here). I think it should emphasize on stuff that isn't competitive at all and focus on the fitness side of things, or at least give the option of doing fitness related stuff.

Reply 48

NViasko

But your perspective doesn't generalise to everyone else!

That's probably because it was mostly my opinion. :rolleyes:

What I said about public humiliation stands though, because of the way PE is taught - not because of my teachers, or the way I see it, but because PE and maths aren't comparable, because they're not taught comparably. It is generally assumed the more you do the better you will get - which is fair enough. But since PE is generally a 40-minute lesson a week, no amount of exercise the unfit kids are forced to do within that time will make them fitter. It'll just make them hate PE more.

Reply 49

generalebriety

That's probably because it was mostly my opinion. :rolleyes:

What I said about public humiliation stands though, because of the way PE is taught - not because of my teachers, or the way I see it, but because PE and maths aren't comparable, because they're not taught comparably. It is generally assumed the more you do the better you will get - which is fair enough. But since PE is generally a 40-minute lesson a week, no amount of exercise the unfit kids are forced to do within that time will make them fitter. It'll just make them hate PE more.

I am viewing this from a broader perspective, not a case study about your unfortunate set of events. I'll assume that in most PE classes, the majority of students will participate and enjoy the lesson.

My main point is that Physical Exercise is of paramount importance to the human mind and body, and that more PE lessons should be enforced in compulsory education today. As for the minority, such as yourself, perhaps new schemes could be introduced to curb the interest for the 'unfit' ones? - But that's drifting slightly from the main focus of discussion.

Reply 50

NViasko

I am viewing this from a broader perspective, not a case study about your unfortunate set of events. I'll assume that in most PE classes, the majority of students will participate and enjoy the lesson.
Really? I'd say about 7 out of 10 didn't enjoy the lesson, and I'd also say that was exactly the main focus of discussion. As I said, those who do enjoy it often take the naive view that everyone enjoys it when, from my own perspective, from the perspective of the people replying to this thread, and from the information provided by this statistic (which the posts and my own experience seem to back up quite well), I'd say they (and you) couldn't be more wrong. Most people hate PE.

Reply 51

No, No, No. 7 out of 10 dropped out. That doesn't mean it's because they disliked it. It could be due to a variety of factors. I loved PE at school yet didn't want to pursue it at A level. Doesn't mean I dislike being physically active or enjoyed playing sport.

"My main point is that Physical Exercise is of paramount importance to the human mind and body, and that more PE lessons should be enforced in compulsory education today."

You failed to comment on the above, which was my main point.

Sorry, but I'm not wrong at all. "Most people hate PE" is, however, inaccurate. And finally, you can't go generalising from case studies.

Reply 52

Higgy

2

I admit that now i have left school i do NO exercise whatsoever, if one group of mates are going to play 5 a side and another group are going to the pub...i go to the pub. I'd much rather go for a social drink than play sport, i do love sport and WATCH it religiously but the thought of playing....no thanks

Reply 53

College Guy 1987

2

Psyk

Hell no, team games are worse.

I hate it when people take it too seriously and they take it out on the fat kid (ok I know it's not just fat kids that suck at sport, but I'm talking from experience here). I think it should emphasize on stuff that isn't competitive at all and focus on the fitness side of things, or at least give the option of doing fitness related stuff.

Hmm. But I mean that ahtletics (100m, hurdles, cross country etc) were more humiliating than team games (football, basketball etc)
This is because nobody cared if you were no good at these team games, and you didn't have to try particularly hard if you didn't want to, as the teacher split you up in to friendly games if you didnt play for the school, and let the school footie team practice with each other.
However with the timed races and bleep test, you were expected to try hard, laughed at for losing and had to race all the jocks.
Also, with fitness things, like circuit training, it was always a competition - who can do the most bench presses, who can do the most chin ups etc.

Reply 54

NViasko

No, No, No. 7 out of 10 dropped out. That doesn't mean it's because they disliked it. It could be due to a variety of factors. I loved PE at school yet didn't want to pursue it at A level. Doesn't mean I dislike being physically active or enjoyed playing sport.

"My main point is that Physical Exercise is of paramount importance to the human mind and body, and that more PE lessons should be enforced in compulsory education today."

You failed to comment on the above, which was my main point.

Sorry, but I'm not wrong at all. "Most people hate PE" is, however, inaccurate. And finally, you can't go generalising from case studies.

Fine. Then take a survey. Tallying what people have said in this thread would be a good start.

Reply 55

generalebriety

Fine. Then take a survey. Tallying what people have said in this thread would be a good start.

Is that all you've got?

You cannot really generalise from this thread.

Reply 56

potspansamy

10

I hated P.E it was compulsary in my school until you finished year 11, with 2 hours in years 7-9 and one hour in years 10-11.

I hated it for the little time that I did it (I stopped in year 8 for medical reasons) It was always highly embarrassing everyone seemed (and on reflection) was better than me, I always ended up in the group of people who couldn't be bothered or where just as bad.

The uniform didn't help anyone like it anymore either, if the gym knickers that had to be worn for athletics in the summer wasn't bad enough the fact that the field it was played on was overlooked by the boys school next door just made it so much worse having abuse shouted at you from windows does your ego the world of good.

As to me now, I am unfit but not overweight. My new accomodtion has a gym and I fully intend on joining when I move in and getting fit, as I want to be able to run in the womens 5K and complete it in a reasonable time :rolleyes:

Reply 57

NViasko

Is that all you've got?

You cannot really generalise from this thread.

You can't tell me I'm wrong when you have even less evidence than me. :smile:

Reply 58

generalebriety

You can't tell me I'm wrong when you have even less evidence than me. :smile:

It's not really about 'evidence' though, it's about not being able to generalise with such limited data.

generalebriety

Most people hate PE.

This is bizarre.

Reply 59