Shirley B.H.S.—“Undue Emphasis On Sport”

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32381, 21 August 1970, Page 12

Shirley B.H.S.—“Undue Emphasis On Sport”

Too much emphasis is being placed on sporting achievements at Shirley Boys’ High School, according to an article in the latest issue of the school’s monthly magazine, “Insight.” “In this school, there appears to be undue emphasis on one of the many out-of-classroom activities —namely, sport. This bias is so strong that the activity is even compulsory," the article said-. It gave as a reason for this the community’s judgment of a school by the performance of its sports teams. Employers were taxed with favouring boys from the school for employment when the school’s First XV had a run of success.

“These employers believed that a fine performance of 15

players indicates a school with high standards, and a school 'from which a boy is likely to be an asset to a firm. Such employers should rearrange their priorities,” the article says. Too often the academic and cultural successes of boys at the high school were overshadowed by sporting features.

Compulsory sport, as it functioned in the school, was for many a “useless tedium.” Winter weather was often unsuitable for playing sport In summer, the unwilling sportsman could play tennis and get away with doing very little.

“In short, one can get more exercise cycling to school every day than by playing sport,” the article says.