No child left behind in sports too

The popular slogan of “No child left behind” has, in some aspects of the education system, received some traction in meaning, whist still not fully in train.

It is relative to say that there has been some success in ensuring that all students are catered for within the nation’s schools, via some of the educational programmes, along with the schools feeding programme.

Whilst it is still work in progress, the notion has not caught on, nor has been considered with any serious and sustained effort, as it relates to sports.

This is so as our education planners are not staying with the times, hence, are not acknowledging that many of our young students who are more adept to sports, are not being channeled into their areas of prowess.

Despite the touting of the economic benefits and spin-off of sports, and an alternative to idleness and hopelessness, our education system does not cater for the emerging trends.

In fact, the system still hinges heavily on pure academics, leaving many out of the loop, as their interest and cognitive makeup, in many cases, do not give them an equal opportunity to excel.

Generally, sports and physical education at our nation’s schools are by products and not necessarily accepted areas of study.

Additionally, even with universal access to secondary education entrenched, catering for the sporting needs of the students remains an undertaking that has been placed low down on the pecking order.

The overall lack of synergy and connective policies is confirmed by the fact that it is only in the secondary schools that physical education teachers are assigned.

Hence, contrary to the best ideals of progression and the acquisition of some basic skill set in sports, our school system has deferred this to age eleven and over.

So on one hand, whilst the pronouncements by this country’s education policymakers and technocrats, that no child should be left behind, their deliberate act of not employing trained and certified physical education teachers in the primary schools, exemplifies somewhat of an unfulfilled meaning to the slogan.

The policymakers in mapping out the pathway to universal access to secondary education, failed in their wisdom to establish a few comprehensive units within the schools, which would have sufficed to some extent, the sporting/educational needs of our students.

The void is further compounded as in some primary schools, in that when there are some aspects of physical education extended to the students, many are denied because they lack the necessary “games clothes”.

Too, there are some of the schools under the direct watch of the Ministry of Education, and organised competitions under the auspices of the said ministry, which deny students participation in sporting events, because of a unilateral decision and whims and fancies of the schools’ heads, and the education officials are aware of this.

They have knowledge as well, that in some institutions, according to a decision of a principal, that there are no internal competitions, with athletics being the main casualty.

The Ministry of Education hence, needs to be reminded that St Vincent and the Grenadines is a signatory to a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) charter on physical education, physical activity and sports.

This charter, in essence, serves as a global reference point for orienting and supporting decision-making policies in sports.

Central to the charter, are the ethical and quality standards which zooms in on the universal principles, such as gender equality, non-discrimination, as well as social inclusion through the hosting of sporting events.

It highlights the fundamental role of quality physical education, along with the benefits of physical activity; the need to ensure the sustainability of sports programmes.

The charter also clarifies the scope of sport for development and peace programmes and defines a range of sport integrity standards to be respected.

These salient tenets of the charter points to where we are, as the actions of many of the stakeholders are contravening our association with the principles which are embedded in the charter.