Pushy parents are the real sports day losers
What sort of a parent films their primary school child’s sports day in order to challenge the judge’s decision?
That’s not a rhetorical question. I’d really like to know, so if you or any member of your family have ever insisted the Year 2 egg and spoon race be subject to a stewards’ inquiry, please do get in touch.
Apparently, such naked competitiveness is quite widespread, and parents have been known to subsequently approach staff with “evidence” on their tablet that little Picpoul was robbed of his long-jump trophy, and cast-iron “proof ” that Mortadella’s team had victory snatched from them in the three-legged relay.
I’m not sure which is more astounding: the po-faced seriousness with which these parents take sports day, or the crazed conspiracy theories at the heart of their hi-tech tracking.
These mothers and fathers obviously have no faith in fair play, and no trust in the teachers. Lord only knows what message that sends out to their offspring, other than: “Miss Hadley might seem nice, but she is out to nobble you, son, and there’s no way that’s happening on my watch.”
Thanks to these hardline parents – some of whom have been shamed, but sadly not named, by the head of Mynydd Bychan primary school near Cardiff – children are growing up mistrustful of authority, however benign.
And, frankly, if the head of infants has been got at by an international betting ring and is rigging the sack race, what hope is there for justice in the world?
Why do as you are told or show respect when the whole staffroom is probably a hotbed of vested interests, backhanders and corruption?
In other schools, sports day has been cancelled or downgraded to a “fun day”, in order to remove the friendly rivalry.
That’s quite irritating if your highly athletic child can run like Usain Bolt, but quite a relief if your highly academic child can run like Dame Mary Beard.
But parents should be there – if only to watch, and not to record. To my mind, ipads have no place on sports day, unless someone forgets to bring the discus.