This is a "series" of blogs, please review the first 2 on American Education.
Why delete sports from the school's curriculum? Let's count the reasons!
1. Including sports in American educational curriculum, was never an educationally sound notion.
Imagine students attending school, where the sole emphasis is on learning, Language, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. Subjects such as Art, Instrumental and Vocal Music, Foreign Language, could also be offered.
No concern about "the big game." getting a "date" for the dance, or dealing with a "jock" culture, that behaves as if the entire school's existence, is supposed to be centered on them. Removal of all sports stimulus from schools, should help students focus on learning.
By the way, parents would focus on their child's learning, also.
2. Taxes would be lowered or remain at local current levels, for the forseeable future. No need for large gymnasiums or field houses. No need for maintenance or staff devoted to maintaining large gymnasiums, football, soccer or field hockey fields, no need for baseball diamonds, etc.
Ever consider how much custodial time it takes to clean under the stands/bleachers after a game, line the football or soccer field, paint and re-surface gynasium basketball courts? Taxes pay for this maintenance of school sports facitlites.
Have you ever thought about how much it costs for sports uniforms, pads, medical supplies, shoes and other sports peraphenalia, worn or used, by each athlete? Taxes pay for much of these.
Yes, facilities would be needed for physical education, IF the school district included the subject in it's curriculum, but you don't need huge gyms to be able to teach P.E., double, triple, or quadruple sized rooms, would do.
Did you know that many school districts "subsidize" their sports program? Usually, the only sport that "pays for itself," in a school is football. In many schools, the other sports lose money, triggering a need to move general fund monies (transfers), into the sports program fund. Imagine the effect on taxes if general fund tax money would be used solely for academics programs!
How do you suppose huge gymnasiums, football, soccer and field hockey fields, and the land for them, are purcihased and built? Taxpayer supported bond issues, (more taxes) is where most are paid for. Often, these sports facilities are a component of a much larger bond issue, which includes building a school, or serious renovation. Someone, usually "sports parents" with much local power, WANTS the new facility, so they lobby to include it in a bond-issue submission to local taxpayer vote. Those of us who pay taxes, without kids in school who participate in sports, are kind enough to help these parents, pay for their kid's sports participation.
3. Most European countries separate their academic schools, from student social programs. Their schools focus solely on academics and student sports, clubs and activites, are sponsored, privately, outside the school. THEY ARE NOT PAID FOR, WITH TAXES. Those countries "beat" us on student academic test scores, consistently.
By the way, those same countries do very well in sports also. They often finish first, second or third, in many Olympic sports competitions.
4. One of the "hidden" outcomes of student sports programs, is the number and severity of injuries, suffered by kids, during competition. Some of the medical treatments for these injuries, is often paid for by tax money, through insurance, purchased by the school district. Some, but not all, of these injuries, are paid for by parents being required to pay for health insurance, covering their student's sports competition.
There are injuries sustained by kids playing sports, that end their sports career, before it has a real beginning, Occasionally, deaths are a result of student sports participation. Wouldn't it be interesting to know how many kids are killed or disabled, some permanently, from sports, every year? Wouldn't it be interesting to have an accurate figure published for the cost of these injuries, paid by taxpayers?
It has become a practice in this country to "privatize" certain functions, traditionally provided by government, especially over the last 20 years. Anti-tax political lobbying, usually by conservative political organizations and politicians, supported by the "conservative media," have proven successful in generating these "provatization" efforts.
We have just presented rationale for a serious upgrade of student academic performance, while saving, lowering and using taxpayer money more wisely and privatization of an expensive, government-supported funtion. All the components of a GREAT CONSERVATIVE CAUSE. Would anyone else out there LOVE to see how conservative groups and politicians would handle this issue?
The "Social Component" of current American Education, is long overdue, for such action.
American Education can only become MUCH better for removing "Social Education," from America's Public Schools.
Dr. Walter Wayne Hopewell-
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