PRIMARY SCHOOL SPORT

Taranaki Daily News, 22 June 1935, Page 9

PRIMARY SCHOOL SPORT

NON-COMPETITIVE BASIS

WELLINGTON HEADMASTERS’ VIEW.

NORTH TARANAKI CONSIDERATION.

SOCIAL ASPECT OF THE QUESTION.

Should all primary inter-school games be made non-competitive? The Wellington Headmasters’ Association believes they should and suggests that no championships should be awarded. The reasons for the proposal were submitted to the North Taranaki Headmasters’ Association last night, but it was considered the question was much too big for a decision at short notice. It was decided that Messrs. A. H. McLean and R. J. Thomas should confer on the subject with Messrs, . G.' H. Davey, G. Caiman and A. B. Barns (first assistants) and Misses Ritchie, Allen and-Tay-lor, a report to be submitted to the annual meeting 'of the headmasters in July. The experience of the last ten years and more proved that trophies had al-, most lost their appeal, said a circular froth the Wellington association.. It had come to be the rule that winners of trophies rarely troubled to lift them. The ideal was to play regular rounds of interschool games and to cater for as many of these as staff limitations made possible. Where this was most thoroughly done the specially talented players were dispersed in many teams, instead of the best being concentrated in a championship team. Therefore, the school that afforded opportunities for the greatest number of pupils to play games was at a disadvantage in competitions. HEALTHY, HAPPY EMULATION. Experience had proved that the essentials of keen, healthy, happy emulation were amply afforded without superimposing upon games played a “seasonal points championship.” It was rarely possible to play competition rounds on a basis equitable to all schools. Some schools enjoyed enviable advantages in the way of practice facilities, such as good grounds and vicinity to the baths. A complex organisation of games based on weights and ages or both failed to a considerable degree to eliminate this -element of undue advantage. A sporting spirit, one of friendly rivalry, in which the game was full of zest and fun, and was played for the game’s sake, best conserved |he moral- value of team athletics. These moral values werd in no' way second to the physical ones. Indeed, from the standpoint of character formation they came first. The playing of the game in the cleanest spirit of friendly rivalry was the thing most to be desired. Such a spirit reacted in a manner beyond price on the tone of the school. The best possible school tone was the most highly valued of educational influences. Undue competition tended to impair a team’s sporting spirit and to set too high a value on “always winning.” It caused excessive and sometimes unfriendly rivalry, a tiring it had been the effort of a generation of Wellington teachers to minimise. From the educational standpoint, as from the social, it was as important to be a “good loser as a highly successful player. Where competition was over emphasised, sport was given too much thought, and success in it assumed an altogether disproportionate value. As the plain object of the school’s mental tuition was. or rather should be, the implanting of a wide variety of worthwhile interests, it should do what it judicially , could to minimise over-absorp-tion in spirt. • ; EVILS OF MODERN LIFE.

Excessive competition in business and pastimes was perhaps the greatest of evils in- modern life. It weakened the co-operative motives and in not a few cases tended completely to de-socialise the human outlook. In children the social motives were just as strpng as the individualistic, often selfish ones. They would bear>fruit in the social pulling together of the Units of the community if given adequate scope for exercise. Educationists were becoming keenly aware of the many ways in which the school failed to socialise the child s nature and outlook. Competitive examinations were still too much with them, but prize-giving to the most successful to the discouragement of the most deserving had almost died out. It was a movement in the right direction to reduce to a minimum competition in games. Mr. A. McHardy said the introduction of trophies in sport was always accompanied by ■ a “win at all costs spirit. “I consider teachers give more time to their work out of school hours than members of any other profession,” said Mr. A. H. McLean in urging that because of its educational value sport should find a place on the school timetable. He suggested that at least half the time devoted to sport should be provided for in the time-table. The chairman, Mr. R. E.. Brown, supporting Mr. McLean, said that whqn games were held, out of school hours .the work of supervision devolved on two or three teachers. If sport were given a place on the time-tf/ole all the teachers would have to take their share. Mr. McLean considered games within the school were more important than those played outside. He would like each school to hold its sports day, on which all the games would be played.