Two hours of PE every day says Boris.

[modeller]

Boris Johnson suggests schools should have two hours of PE every day, which would be almost half the school day.
Where does he think the time is going to come from ? The curriculum at both primary and secondary schools is already overcrowded.

If it was possible to find the time I would suggest the teaching of more practical
and domestic skills would be of far more value for life.

[shaneystar2]

True ...but you didn't have to wear silly hats that you had to make in that most awful of subjects .... needlework :)

[tonyav]

LOL, no shaney, again we had metalwork or woodwork while the girls did that.

[Tilly2]

Some pupils would hate that!

[shaneystar2]

They used to teach us the most useless things at school at times .
How to iron a teatowel ..I ask you ... :)
I was quite happy to run round the hockey pitch .

[Robinia]

I liked cookery and needlework but I'd rather have done woodwork than PE....girls didn't do things like that in ye olden dayes :)

[ChuckFickens]

at my school you had the choice of woodwork/metalwork/tech drawing or home economics, but you were made to swap subjects for a few weeks every term.

also.... 3 hours of Latin per week!!! well that's a useful subject in this day and age, did you have to hot foot it over to archery straight after?

[Robinia]

I was more than happy to run off the hockey pitch. :)

[shaneystar2]

This is it Robinia ....they didn't really teach you anything practical .
The cookery teacher was hot on Fairy cakes and soused herrings but they never taught you how to get a roast dinner on the table :)

[ChuckFickens]

" but they never taught you how to get a roast dinner on the table :)"

I took the "traditional" boys classes (woodwork etc) but as I said we had to do a few weeks of the home economics classes each term and they taught us how to do that sort of thing.

[Robinia]

Do they still do woodwork and metalwork etc with all this health and safety gone barmy?

[shaneystar2]

Not in my day Chuck ..it was all how to bath a baby ,how to make gooseberry jam ,and how to iron teatowels .
But then again I started school in 1953 where they still taught you to write with a dip pen and ink .I was an ink moniter :)
One thing though ....I have immaculate handwriting !

[Quizmonster]

We need to remember that Boris went to Eton; that is, his "school day" lasted 24 hours! No problem fitting two hours of PE into that, really, and I daresay the PE staff were employed on rather different terms than today's state teachers.

[pdq1]

Seniors should be made to walk to school. Thats all the exercise they need instead of being pampered and chauffered in mummies limo.

[factor-fiction]

He was asked about the 2 hours a week requirement which used to be in place. I think his 2 hours a day may have been a slip of the tongue or something he said in agreement without thinking.
Anyway did he say PE or did he say exercise meaning walking to school and break/lunchtime activities. Too many children get driven to school, even to primary schools less than quarter of a mile from home

[Kromovaracun]

If I remember right (and I left school only 6 years ago), I think we had about two double-periods of PE every week, and one single period. I don't remember how long a single period was, though (I think it was about 30 minutes but it's really quite vague in my memory).

I have to say, though, what I really dislike about P.E. as it's currently done is that it's basically a pseudonym for 'sport'. As if sport is literally the only way to get exercise or 'physically educate' people. I hated sport as a kid, and as a result always dreaded PE lessons and got precious little out of them. And I know for a fact I'm not the only one who would have experienced this as a child. I don't really see how cramming sport down children's throats is productive or useful. Or how indoctrinating them with the idea that some kids are sporty and some are brainy and if you're good at one you're not good at the other is remotely conducive to good education.

Personally I think (say) juggling is about as useful as any sport you care to mention for improving hand-eye-coordination, sports-vision, balance, etc. And also requires minimal equipment. And is also, in my opinion, a more beautiful, interesting and fulfilling pastime than any sport. I'll probably get laughed at for saying so, though :/.

[Mick-Talbot]

lol lol lol lol lol

[dotty.]

in my day it was cookery or needlework :( hated mrs grundy and old minnie parker

[Kromovaracun]

(Having rethought it, despite being a fan of juggling, I do agree with modeller - practical life skills make much more sense.)

[modeller]

As a teacher I remember after the age of 12 most of the kids disliked PE especially the girls. Judging by the number of sick notes that were handed in on the games days I'm not surprised the NHS has problems.