A booklet being handed out to schools claims cross-country runs are a type of child abuse.

 

The guide also says the sport breaches pupils' human rights.

 

It says pupils "have the right to be protected from emotional or physical abuse" - and lists cross-country running and bullying as examples.

Professor Margaret Talbot, of PE teachers' group the Association for Physical Education, said: "It is indefensible to equate cross-country with child abuse."

Campaign for Real Education chief Nick Seaton added: "Most people will be horrified that cross-country can be seen as a breach of human rights.

"It's extremely good exercise and good for youngsters to be keeping fit and building strength and endurance."

The Key Stage Four booklet was produced by private firm Coordination Group Publications, which makes kids' study guides. Around 30,000 have been sold to schools for £5.50 each.

The national curriculum does not say schools have to offer cross-country but does order "athletic activities" that "build stamina".

CGP said the booklet was to raise classroom debate and the cross-country reference should be seen as "light-hearted".

A Department for Education spokesman said it was not official guidance, adding: "We encourage PE, including cross-country, in schools."

 

I thought schools were meant to help kids exercise more. :unsure:

 

Is this political correctness going too far.

 

 

lol how can pe be child abuse?

 

i used to like long distance running when i was at school (not that i was ever actually good at it but i liked it anyway :P)

 

it only starts going wrong when the teachers tell u that u cant stop. thats what they used to tell us, if they ever saw anyone who had stopped because they needed to catch there breath or whatever then the whole class would have to do it again

I was the 'fat kid' in school - and making fat kids do PE is cruel and unnecessary.

 

An hour's exercise a week will hardly get a fat kid fit... so spare them the torture, ridicule and shame of these lessons.

 

Plus, every PE teacher we had in our schools was a meathead masochist who absolutely delighted in ridiculing the kids who weren't athletic.....

I was the 'fat kid' in school - and making fat kids do PE is cruel and unnecessary.

 

An hour's exercise a week will hardly get a fat kid fit... so spare them the torture, ridicule and shame of these lessons.

 

Plus, every PE teacher we had in our schools was a meathead masochist who absolutely delighted in ridiculing the kids who weren't athletic.....

Of course PE and cross country isn't child abuse, but it certainly feels like it :lol: I agree with you Russ, I wasn't the fat kid but I wasn't athletic at all and every bit of your post brings back terrible memories :cry:

Cross-Country :wub: Hmmm I dont know what to say really, I think it's really strange what is being said and that, although some people no matter how athletic they are probaly just cant cope with it, where as some people who can do it easily and go for hours.

So if there are to groups of people like that ^ in Cross Country, I think it's unfair how both groups have to do it

 

If that all makes sence

utter nonsense..... how can anyone compare it is riddiculous, and it downgrades real abuse... ffs! ask any kid, what would they sooner experience? being molested or going on a run! <_<

 

 

dissagree with you russ, i think its imperative that 'fat' kids get some excercise. i go on a small jog every week and just that 20 odd minutes keeps me supple. fat kids need MORE excercise, not less, and should be sympathetically encouraged to do so..

 

the number of fat/podgy kids nowdays is rather disturbing. and there will be consequences to pay....

I personally think it depends on how long the run is. I hate and disagree with the completely uncalled for yet compulsory steeple chase which everyone at my school has to do each year - a 2-4 mile run depending on what gender or year you are (girl juniors do the 2 mile run, boy juniors and girl seniors do the 3 mile run and boy seniors do the 4 mile run :angry:) with no exceptions. It isn't even for charity! It's just compulsory for all, and any laggers or overweight people get the hell bullied out of them for coming last because of the stupid points system which means overweight people or laggers end up losing the competition for the house. It's completely uncalled for and is a stupid tradition which should be stopped ASAP.

This country just gets worse and worse :rolleyes: :rolleyes: we should repeal human rights laws even if it means leaving the EU

 

This is not as bad as the case of the armed robber having to be given KFC by the police during a siege as no food was against his human rights but its not far behind

 

 

dissagree with you russ, i think its imperative that 'fat' kids get some excercise. i go on a small jog every week and just that 20 odd minutes keeps me supple. fat kids need MORE excercise, not less, and should be sympathetically encouraged to do so..

I think that's the point Russ was getting at. 'Fat' kids aren't sympathetically encouraged, they're ordered to run around the school field in front of their friends and face the humiliation of coming last every time, and being more out of breath etc. than everyone else.

 

There's no way that this is child abuse, but I do agree with Russ' point, maybe there is another way to encourage bigger kids to exercise - but that's a different topic -_-

In what way is it child abuse? :blink: It's just bloody running :mellow: I remember doing it at school and it certainly kept me fit and tbh I quite enjoyed it and always tried to beat my best time :lol: Keeping fit is very important and I think cross country running is a great way to keep little kiddies fit as it pushes them to the limit. It certainly doesn't rank against what child abuse actually is anyway :wacko:

School is about winning and losing anyways

 

Will exams become a breach of human rights and child abuse too because there is the risk of humilliation for not bright kids when their brighter class mates get better grades ??? :unsure:

 

I may be being sarcastic but you just never know with this government :rolleyes:

i guess all this nonsense will cease when ever kid is exactly the same... looks, build, iq, tastes etc...lol.

dissagree with you russ, i think its imperative that 'fat' kids get some excercise. i go on a small jog every week and just that 20 odd minutes keeps me supple. fat kids need MORE excercise, not less, and should be sympathetically encouraged to do so..

 

the number of fat/podgy kids nowdays is rather disturbing. and there will be consequences to pay....

 

I think I can safely say that you were never that 'fat kid' in school, then, Rob?

 

The utter disgust and ridicule from the other kids (and the teachers) when you're in that changing room.... ugh... I remember it well.

 

I totally disagree that PE should be on any school curriculum. It divides a class of kids, not unites them. The teachers are only ever interested in the kids who are willing to join the cross country teams or the rugby teams... same as in the Music classes, only kids interested in joining the bloody school orchestra are given the time of day by the teachers.

 

To polarise a section of kids like PE does - to make overweight kids strip off in changing rooms in front of everyone else is unnecessary, cruel and there's absolutely NO WAY on earth any child of mine would do it if he or she didn't want to.

 

As I stated, one hour of PE won't make fat kids slim. Some fat kids are just.... fat.

 

I was.... I ate exactly the same as everyone else, and outside school, ran like a rat with the best of them. But to be FORCED to strip off in communal changing rooms, and to run, swim and do gym, in front of the very kids who make your life a living hell for being fat, is just simply not on. Luckily, I lost all the weight in my teens without dieting, extra exercise... I was one of the lucky ones who didn't suffer the mid to late teenage ears as a fattie, when the abuse and torment is even greater.

School is about winning and losing anyways

 

Will exams become a breach of human rights and child abuse too because there is the risk of humilliation for not bright kids when their brighter class mates get better grades ??? :unsure:

 

I may be being sarcastic but you just never know with this government :rolleyes:

 

Ozzy...it's wonderful that kids HAVE an education under 'this government'.

 

Under the one you supported, we learnt everything from photocopied sheets - under Thatcher, schools simply couldn't afford books!

 

So when you're banging on about education.... I suggest you get your selective memory in working order.

I think I can safely say that you were never that 'fat kid' in school, then, Rob?

 

The utter disgust and ridicule from the other kids (and the teachers) when you're in that changing room.... ugh... I remember it well.

 

I totally disagree that PE should be on any school curriculum. It divides a class of kids, not unites them. The teachers are only ever interested in the kids who are willing to join the cross country teams or the rugby teams... same as in the Music classes, only kids interested in joining the bloody school orchestra are given the time of day by the teachers.

 

To polarise a section of kids like PE does - to make overweight kids strip off in changing rooms in front of everyone else is unnecessary, cruel and there's absolutely NO WAY on earth any child of mine would do it if he or she didn't want to.

 

As I stated, one hour of PE won't make fat kids slim. Some fat kids are just.... fat.

 

I was.... I ate exactly the same as everyone else, and outside school, ran like a rat with the best of them. But to be FORCED to strip off in communal changing rooms, and to run, swim and do gym, in front of the very kids who make your life a living hell for being fat, is just simply not on. Luckily, I lost all the weight in my teens without dieting, extra exercise... I was one of the lucky ones who didn't suffer the mid to late teenage ears as a fattie, when the abuse and torment is even greater.

This is what I was getting at too :D And I was never fat, but I was never athletic and was ridiculed because of it, and I'm also one of the teenagers who has lost a lot of weight without dieting and extra exercise *touches wood* :lol:

I think I can safely say that you were never that 'fat kid' in school, then, Rob?

 

The utter disgust and ridicule from the other kids (and the teachers) when you're in that changing room.... ugh... I remember it well.

 

I totally disagree that PE should be on any school curriculum. It divides a class of kids, not unites them. The teachers are only ever interested in the kids who are willing to join the cross country teams or the rugby teams... same as in the Music classes, only kids interested in joining the bloody school orchestra are given the time of day by the teachers.

 

To polarise a section of kids like PE does - to make overweight kids strip off in changing rooms in front of everyone else is unnecessary, cruel and there's absolutely NO WAY on earth any child of mine would do it if he or she didn't want to.

 

As I stated, one hour of PE won't make fat kids slim. Some fat kids are just.... fat.

 

I was.... I ate exactly the same as everyone else, and outside school, ran like a rat with the best of them. But to be FORCED to strip off in communal changing rooms, and to run, swim and do gym, in front of the very kids who make your life a living hell for being fat, is just simply not on. Luckily, I lost all the weight in my teens without dieting, extra exercise... I was one of the lucky ones who didn't suffer the mid to late teenage ears as a fattie, when the abuse and torment is even greater.

 

Skinny kids had to strip off in changing rooms too and there was just as big a stigma for being too thin in the schools I went to as being too fat, I was neither skinny nor fat but the grossly thin ones got as much picking on when getting changed for swimming as the fat ones

 

The problem now is that there are more and more fat kids than ever as they are just playing on Nintendo's and stuffing their faces with burgers instead of playing football in the street and their mums ferry them off to school in the 4x4 even if the school is 1/4 mile away so if parents are not ensuring that their kids are getting proper exercise then the schools should do it for them as they will become a major burden on the NHS, I am not implying you were fat because of burgers fatness can be genetic but exercise and sport is an essential part of life

 

Sport is ESSENTIAL in schools, it is about working as a TEAM and thats what people have to do in WORK

 

 

Ozzy...

 

as I said, in my experience of PE in schools, far from making the kids work as a 'team', it totally separated the kids.... the ones who 'do' and the ones who 'don't'.

 

There are far, far more effective ways of teambuilding within the education system.

 

It's open season for the bullies..... who use the PE lessons as a springboard for their bullying - helped, it has to be said, in many cases by the PE teacher him/herself.

I personally think it depends on how long the run is. I hate and disagree with the completely uncalled for yet compulsory steeple chase which everyone at my school has to do each year - a 2-4 mile run depending on what gender or year you are (girl juniors do the 2 mile run, boy juniors and girl seniors do the 3 mile run and boy seniors do the 4 mile run :angry:)

It's like when I do competitions. Exactly the same thing, the girls do about 2 laps (I dont know how long though) and boys do about 3 and a half

Oh I forgot I was going to say something else to,

 

everyone comes in different shapes and sizes, some kids have the abilty to run and some dont, whatever there size.

And to me it dosnt bother me if people are skinny as a stick or really overweight. You may have this really overweight guy but they could end up to be one of the nicest guys you have met.

 

Although on the whole changing rooms subject to, I dont recall any bullying with the overweight kids, same with thin kids to. People just kept themselves to themselves and still do.

Ozzy...

 

as I said, in my experience of PE in schools, far from making the kids work as a 'team', it totally separated the kids.... the ones who 'do' and the ones who 'don't'.

 

There are far, far more effective ways of teambuilding within the education system.

 

It's open season for the bullies..... who use the PE lessons as a springboard for their bullying - helped, it has to be said, in many cases by the PE teacher him/herself.

 

I agree with you about PE teachers, mine in my last school was a sadistic f**ker who thought nothing about throwing a basketball in someone's face during the pep talk etc if he thought someone was not paying attention to what he was saying, I never had it done to me but others had it done to them and there was other things he would do too which would technically be classified as assault in this day and age

 

But bullying can happen anywhere at any time from kids not just in PE, it is not just a fat/skinny thing either it could be because of big ears, squeaky voice, black or asian, wearing glasses, not having top brand trainers and so on so scrapping PE will not eliminate bullying, the kids who are being picked on will still be picked on