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| October | 11 |
| 2006 |
Someone called Mike Rush (Deputy Head of Stockwell Park High School) has just said this on the Today programme:
In education we talk about giving children skills for life. I can't really think of a better skill than swimming.
Hmmm. Let me think. Reading? Writing? Arithmetic? Even cooking?
UPDATE: I'm not anti-swimming! It just struck me as an odd thing to say, especially from a Deputy Head. As for the fact that, as one commenter puts it, "You wouldn't have been able to read, write, count or cook away from the Titanic"; I love the idea that schooling should be based on the idea of preparing for possible life saving skills, however remote their liklihood. I wonder how many people living in inner London will ever need to swim for their life. Somewhere around one or two a year, perhaps? Next lesson: ejecting out of fighter planes under attack from an invading air force. You never know when you might need to.
MessageSpace
Stephen, that is so - what you say about the three Rs but swimming is vital too, especially in an island nation where water is never more than 67 miles away. This is why schools place such emphasis on it in their primary curricula. It also has health benefits beyond imagining, least of all for the exercise.
You wouldn't have been able to read, write, count or cook away from the Titanic. Talk about re-arranging the deckchairs...
"I wonder how many people living in inner London will ever need to swim for their life. Somewhere around one or two a year, perhaps?"
Just thank God that our host isn't a scientist.
I totally agree with the comments made by the Deputy Head. It's essential that we bring up future generations who are well balanced, intelligent and healthy. Sport should be a number one priority. Not everyone is academic you know.
Sport, particuarly of a competitive nature, gives school-children a sense of self-worth, is very healthy and teaches them team-building (something that's sadly lacking in business and industry I suggest) It's hardly surprising that we have a generation of obese and indolent with attitudes from previous postees.
To broaden the issue a little, do you realise that we've lost over 34000 playing fields in recent years?