School children should be made to do two hours of sport a day as part of the Olympic legacy, Boris Johnson has said.
How long is a school day? Around six hours after you take out the breaks? And this nincompoop wants to take out another two – never mind that enforced sport is detrimental to the individual. Jeebus!
The sooner this dreadful, corrupt junket is over and done with the better, frankly. One more day to go – although we have the spectacle of the equally awful paralympics to endure next month.
The London mayor wants to build on the public’s renewed appetite for sport, adding it would be “wonderful for kids across this country”.
No, it won’t. For those that do not like it, it will be hell on Earth. In what way is torturing children a good thing?
“It is of profound importance for the happiness and success of this country that we have more sport in schools.”
If you like chasing a ball about a muddy field, maybe. If you do not, then it is sheer purgatory and will merely create a deep rooted hatred for sport and those who enforce it for a lifetime in the unwilling. This is the same kind of hard-of-thinking twattery that comes out with “national service will make a man of you”. Fucking idiot.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. None of this is any damned business of the government and the sooner we close down the whole department and stop wasting money on this nonsense, the better – that will make me very happy.
Couldn’t agree more. For me, and millions of others, school sport was an exercise in ritual humiliation that quite honestly put me off doing anything remotely sporty for life.
At least the paralympics are not forced down your throat to quite the same extent, but in a sense they are even worse because many will feel they have to feign interest to appear politically correct. In reality, while the efforts of the competitors deserve applause, they’re not something that anyone would actually ever pay to see. It is not top-class sport, it is people (often very bravely) overcoming disability.
I don’t plan to feign any interest. I have none, so plan to be honest about it.
Couldn’t give a toss.
BTW
PLEASE refer to the “paralympics” as
“THE FREAK SHOW”
Because that is what it is.
A Victorian freak show, with the deformed and disabled being expoited in public for other people’s money.
That says more about you that anyone else.
Yes
I can see clearly – past all the lying bullshit.
Once a year, I go to a place, just outside York, where people with (severe) learning and othe rdifficulties do very useful, productive work – it’s a special garden centre, and their plants are excellent.
The exact opposite of the Freak Show in two week’s time!
What’s ironic about your piece is Boris is a perfect example of “do as I say, not as I do”.
He should practice it before he preaches it.
Now they’ve intoduced BMX racing into the olympics and womens boxing, well on those two alone, most inner city kids have a head start already.
John Cooper-Clarke saw him (and many others) coming, years ago…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-aVtKEhpO0
John Cooper Clarke’s Health Fanatic is very relevant too 😈
And those ofus who won / can’t – what will be done wit them.
I’ve already emaile Longrider about thoughtcrime wrt the “olympics” – I just hope he posts a comment up!
If I get time tomorrow, I might do something over at OoL.
My school was responsible for my hatred of rugby. The first and only time I played I kept on scoring tries because I could run quite fast, then one of the big boys on the other side said if I score again he’ll break my legs. That was the last game I played so I opted for cross-country running which meant that about 10 of us could run out of school and hide for 2 hours and smoke lots of cigs!
Lots of blogs have covered this subject. In the comments there is almost universal condemnation of the practice of forcing children to do activities that they hate. Not only do these commenters think that it is basically evil, they also make the case that it is counter productive. Without exception, sport haters put their hatred down to experiences at school. What about those who think that more school sport is a good idea? Does not every single one of them have first hand experience of forced to do sport misery? Maybe they need reminding, could we round them all up some time in January and have an army PT instructor make them run around a muddy field in a tee shirt and little nylon shorts.
You know that quote about history always being written by the winning side? Well, team games are always taught – and presumably advocated – by those who succeeded at them.
I forgot to mention that there should be slippering, lots of slippering.
The slogans and mantras of politicians are worthless. In fact, they are worse than useless since these politicians have control (to some extend) of the purse strings. Control of the purse strings…..dangerous.
Why stop with children? The ‘logic’ of the argument applies equally to adults, so why not two hours of compulsory team sports every day for adults? Ridiculous, I know. So why is one ridiculous and the other apparently serious?
Surely the obvious “cure” is mandatory PE for all Outer Party Members. Carried out in politically acceptable groups or under the benign surveillance through your telescreen.
Remember “Freedom is Slavery”, “Ignorance is Strength”, “War is Peace”.
Yes, for me too, PE at school was an exercise in complete humiliation. Probably accounting for my lifelong antipathy to any sport nowadays.