Rugby league’s benefits felt in classroom
RUGBY league and education has proved a winning combination in the Far North in 2017 in a bid to increase students’ participation and engagement.
While rugby league programs have long been established in some schools, an increasing number have this year reaped the rewards of using the sport to incentivise learning.
Rugby league is one of the ways Education Queensland has been attempting to connect more students with school, which has not only helped the overwhelming ma- jority of participating schools boost attendance, but also to engage those students to learn in a way that supports their interests.
Queensland Secondary School Rugby League treasurer and Mareeba State High School principal Scott Whybird said rugby league was par- ticularly valuable in driving academic outcomes in the Far North.
“We’ve done a variety of different programs over a period of time but rugby league is a big engagement tool not only in the way we look at getting kids through the door, but we need to make sure they have a passion for learning,” he said.
Whybird said the school was also helping form the link between them and local CDRL club Mareeba, including having the club’s halfback George House as an active member of the school community.
He said for some students it could lead to them joining the Gladiators, a win-win situation for the right students.
“If we offer the opportunity for them to get involved in extra-curricular sorts of things, obviously it’s a great vehicle for kids to be able to release a bit of frustration as well,” Whybird said.
Bentley Park College is one of the pioneers of incorporating league into the curriculum, having started 10 years ago in a link with the Northern Pride.
Alex Starmer is one of those to have continued the work Robert Anderson started in 2008 and echoed the benefit of exercise being a stress reliever and helping students focus.
Bentley Park College is the only school that runs their excellence program right through to Year 12, offering senior students the chance to finish school with Certificate II in Sport & Rec, which can lead to roles beyond playing.
“At any given time we have 100 students in the program and it definitely helps improve attendance but one thing we talk about is getting students the best engagement,” he said.
Starmer said it wasn’t a “one-size-fits-all” system, but part of a wider approach to student welfare and helping disengaged students discover how they learn best.