Vocal Voices

A study of 25 million children in 28 countries carried out over 46 years shows that today's children are not as fit as we were at the same age; and it is not only in the West.

I suppose that this is not news as there are plenty of studies out there hinting at the same thing. Where this study deviates from the mainstream is that it has not opted for the easy targets of fizzy drinks, ready meals and fast food - chips with everything. It is looking more at the society we, that's us btw, have created and how it has changed over time.

It is quite complicated, and I suppose that it is easy to point the finger at technology - games consoles, TV etc., but for me it is much more than that.

When I was at primary school we had some form of exercise every day, but the curriculum is now so overloaded that there is no time for that sort of nonsense. We also have the excessive application of H&S putting the brakes on playground games. The increase in traffic has virtually killed street play and combined with a 'bogeyman on every corner' mentality children are not allowed out. Smaller patches of open ground within communities are now built on or carry signs saying, "Shhh, No ball Games." with dire warnings of penalties should the rule be broken. No youth clubs any more.

What have we done?

i agree WM it cant be much fun being a child these days
can play out on there bikes go to the swings play out all day with a bottle of water
and jam sandwich
play in woods climb trees
ho the list is endless
i really dont know why my grandchildren get new bikes because they just get but in the shed
such is life
but we have fond memories what will they look back on i wonder

That doesn't surprise me in the least! I did read somewhere, a while ago, that the current generation of children might be the first since stats began who will die, on average, younger than their parents..........

I have no worries about Harry, he is skinny and sports mad but Becks is unfit - I can walk faster than her and I have more stamina, and I'm 36 years older than her

Workingman wrote:When I was at primary school we had some form of exercise every day, but the curriculum is now so overloaded that there is no time for that sort of nonsense.

At school in the rugby season we had PE on Monday, training rugby Tuesday night, double games on wednesday, training on Thursday evening, PE on Friday and a game on Saturday.
In the summer we had athletics or cricket. The school had a sports day in which every year competed.

My children's secondary school pupils were allowed to drop sports after the first three years. Sports day was only for the first three years. After that I believe the school was trying to cram them for exams.

You are right WM, the curriculum is jammed now. Not much room for sports any more.

I thought that it was an important story, but I was wrong. It was dropped for the news that the dullest calendar, Telephone Boxes of Wales, struggled to sell a single copy.

That's the world we now live in.

Control the news and you can control how angry or not people get.

cromwell wrote:

Workingman wrote:When I was at primary school we had some form of exercise every day, but the curriculum is now so overloaded that there is no time for that sort of nonsense.

At school in the rugby season we had PE on Monday, training rugby Tuesday night, double games on wednesday, training on Thursday evening, PE on Friday and a game on Saturday.
In the summer we had athletics or cricket. The school had a sports day in which every year competed.

My children's secondary school pupils were allowed to drop sports after the first three years. Sports day was only for the first three years. After that I believe the school was trying to cram them for exams.

You are right WM, the curriculum is jammed now. Not much room for sports any more.

When my boys were in primary school, PE was regularly cancelled in favour of other lessons when they were in Year 6 and working towards KS2 SATs. It wasn't such an issue for my two as they walked a few miles there and back each day but so many children were dropped off at the gates and picked up in the same place after school.

Tom had to do a PE BTec when doing his GCSEs as he was working towards the English Baccalaureate but the course was completed within the first year so that was it, no more PE. Joe's in Year 9 and has one period of PE a week which amounts to just over 30 minutes when time for getting changed is taken into account. As it's not a subject he's chosen to take at GCSE I expect that this will be his last year of PE lessons.

Shocking isn't it Jo? Becky did hardly any PE in her last years of Secondary - we did tennis, hockey (in season) athletics and PE in the gym, several double periods each week. I hated it but it did keep me fit

Harry's school has excellent facilities including an indoor heated pool, and they do a lot of sport and PE there.......I think it's because sport is something that kids with emotional or mental special needs can compete at as well as their mainstream peers, so it features heavily. It doesn't matter on the pitch if a 12 year old has a reading age of 6 or 7 when he can kick a ball skilfully

When Cromwell and I were at school, and possibly Kaz, maybe Jo, exercise (sport) was seen as important for our all-round wellbeing. It was for taking part in, not something to be tested, marked and a grade awarded. Yes, we had school and house teams, but mainly it was inclusive and to keep us active: a fit body = a fit mind.

But it was not only in school. Outside of it we had the freedom to be the active animals we are designed as.

Growing up we only had PE once a week at school and that was more than enough for me - I've never been fond of exercising (although I did love after school basketball). But up we definitely spent vast amounts more time outside running round and generally just being kids (and this was both in Germany and South Africa). I loved my childhood and the things we got up to and I really feel sorry for kids these days who just - I think - don't know how to have fun anymore.

I also wonder though how much it's a case of not being able to play in parks / on the streets on your own (ie without adults about) anymore because of the possibility of perverts hanging about?