• Replies 9 replies
  • Subscribers 65 subscribers
  • Views 1794 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Was the NAS involved in reforms to the school PE curriculum?

Arran

Michael Gove's new curriculum reforms have resulted in school PE lessons having a heavier emphasis on competitive teams sports than those under the previous government. It is well known that most children with ASD have difficulties with competitive team sports which means that they will derive less benefit and enjoyment of such lessons compared with those offering less competitive physical activities.

Was there any input from the NAS, during consultation procedures or otherwise, into the reforms to the PE curriculum? 

Parents

  • I doubt that the reforms to the PE curriculum are inspired by Hitler Youth although I can see a distant parallel between the two. As I previously said, they were pushed through by public school educated sportsaholics. Luke Jackson mentions the pointlessness of team sports in his book. He regularly participates in Taekwondo.

    If the NAS has not involved themselves in the consultation then they have failed in their game. One bugbear of many parents of children with ASD are the annual school sports days with races that turn out to be public humiliation events for children who are not athletic. There is no legal requirement for schools to hold them because they are not part of the National Curriculum which also means that children legally have the right to opt out of them if they wish, but the NAS has not challenged schools over sports days or raised awareness with parents that they are optional activities. Head teachers who hold the attitude that taking part is more important than winning really get on my nerves. Schools don't do maths or science tests then afterwards circulate the test papers amongst parents and relatives to humiliate the children who are useless at maths and get questions wrong. Such an activity would cause outrage in Britain so why should sports be exempt?

Reply

  • I doubt that the reforms to the PE curriculum are inspired by Hitler Youth although I can see a distant parallel between the two. As I previously said, they were pushed through by public school educated sportsaholics. Luke Jackson mentions the pointlessness of team sports in his book. He regularly participates in Taekwondo.

    If the NAS has not involved themselves in the consultation then they have failed in their game. One bugbear of many parents of children with ASD are the annual school sports days with races that turn out to be public humiliation events for children who are not athletic. There is no legal requirement for schools to hold them because they are not part of the National Curriculum which also means that children legally have the right to opt out of them if they wish, but the NAS has not challenged schools over sports days or raised awareness with parents that they are optional activities. Head teachers who hold the attitude that taking part is more important than winning really get on my nerves. Schools don't do maths or science tests then afterwards circulate the test papers amongst parents and relatives to humiliate the children who are useless at maths and get questions wrong. Such an activity would cause outrage in Britain so why should sports be exempt?

Children
No Data