Targets obsession ruins education
I have in my possession a programme from the 2005 East Wales versus West Wales under-11 rugby game.
In the East Wales team in the front row representing Pontypool schools is one Manu Vunipola and next to him at hooker, his bother Billy Vunipola. Holding them up in the second row is a certain Taulupe Faletau, representing Newport schools.
In opposition in the West, team is J Davies in the centre and waiting his turn on the bench Liam Williams representing Llanelli schools. These five boys, I point out, became British Lions, but others in that team went on to play first-class rugby or for their local teams. They were there representing their districts and most importantly their schools.
Since those heady days, I would be interested to know how many primary schools now possess rugby, football, netball, athletics, cricket, or even tiddlywinks team that play regular competitive games against other schools.
Thanks to politicians and including our Welsh ones the erosion of school sports has come to the point where there is so little strength in depth that we have the ignominy of losing to Italy and Georgia at home.
I do not blame the schools or their teachers. Since the National Curriculum was introduced politicians have forced them into a target-driven educational system that sucks the blood out of all social education for children.
No wonder we see more and more problems of a mental nature in our children. They are driven not by their potential in whatever field they may shine but by a relentless strive to, as the zealots say, raise standards. Standards in what, you may ask. Citizenship, social interaction, challenging experiences in the arts and sports, not just continual adherence to tick sheets and levels that mean absolutely nothing.
By the way, they say we have needed to raise standards year after year, they’ve had long enough to achieve it so why the continual drive?
They will say but we need to compete internationally, and they quote the Pisa results. The country that tops the list in all categories is China, where obedience to the system can see children working up to 20 hours to achieve. Do we want that for our children? I hope not. The next countries on the list are not dissimilar, Singapore, Hong Kong (China) and Taiwan.
The balance between our education versus lifestyle is diminishing and has been since the introduction of the National Curriculum.
Please note public and private schools do not have to follow the National Curriculum. Check out the number of recent actors, sports people and artists that have come from such establishments: Damian Lewis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dominic West, Miranda Hart and Lily Allen. In sports, one-third of the medallists from the Rio Olympics went to private schools.
Victorian work schools were introduced to educate the working classes only so far as the factory or shop floor.
The introduction of the National Curriculum was spearheaded by the very right-wing Sir Keith Joseph and in recent times that mantle was picked up by Michael Gove, marking the arts and sports as a waste of time. Notice he does not include the private schools in this. Our