Fishing on the Curriculum

[mjbarnes12]

As you may/may not be aware I am a Physical Education teacher in secondary schools!!

I have ideas I have shared with people in schools and coaches outside of school!!

However I have never shared this with this forum, so what do you think to the following:-

 

I am wondering if you think fishing could/should be on the curriculum (as an option or a section of outdoor adventurous activities)

 

......................... and if so; what would you teach to the pupils?!?!

[les middy]

In a word Yes

You could cover all aspects of angling from classroom reading to films to field trips

 

To include nature & conservation to watercraft and actual fishing and fish handling

 

wish i had the option when i was at school

[Anderoo]

Emphatically not - it's not a sport, it has no place in schools in my opinion! I can see why others disagree, but I think there would be too many health and safety and moral/ethical hoops to jump through. A qualification would be meaningless too, it wouldn't help kids later in life.

 

Fishing outside of school has a whole host of benefits to kids though.

[jeepster]

We went fishing with school, trips were organised twice a year to local rivers, I loved it, the only thing I got into at school.

Whether it would work on the curriculum or not is another thing.

[DavyR]

Fishing wasn't on the curriculum at my school, but we did have an angling club that held regular matches on the Thames. I clearly remember the remark made by the (non-angling) Head as he handed the Angling cup on Prize Day to the club's 16 year old founder, who had won 5 of the 6 matches in the year: "I always thought that fishing was purely a matter of luck. It appears that is not the case after all".

 

I think running an out-of-school club (rather than including angling on the curriculum) is a good option.

[mjbarnes12]

Emphatically not - it's not a sport, it has no place in schools in my opinion! I can see why others disagree, but I think there would be too many health and safety and moral/ethical hoops to jump through. A qualification would be meaningless too, it wouldn't help kids later in life.

 

Fishing outside of school has a whole host of benefits to kids though.

 

Firstly fishing is indeed a sport!

There would me some health and risky assessments (obviously) to go through but shouldn't be a problem on a commercial with life jackets!!

Not all kids have parents/relatives/friends that would give them the experience of this! So for kids to get an experience in schools would be fantastic!!

[Angly]

I'm a bit old fashioned, I think kids should be taught to read (in this countries national language), write (ditto), and count. Some basic manners (including table) and how to be a useful member of society couldn't hurt either.

 

Seeing as our current education system (including the teachers) can't actually achieve the above with a high degree of success, I see little point in adding another subject.

 

Sport or not sport, and I think the point is irrelevant, as Anderoo says, moral/ethical issues (for the PC crowd) will be the stumbling block.

 

As an after school activity I think it's an excellent idea. My first choice of high school had a smallbore rifle range in the loft for extra curricular use, although I think it's probably been converted to something a bit more PC now, say cannabis growth or something similar.

 

P.S. My dictionary (Concise Oxford 9th Edition) says a sport requires both physical exertion and competition, neither of which usually apply to angling.

 

EDIT: Edited to correct the numerous spelling and grammatical errors; see what I mean about our education system!

Edited January 9, 2009 by Angly

[mjbarnes12]

I'm a bit old fashioned, I think kids should be taught to read (in this countries national language), write (ditto), and count. Some basic manners (including table) and how to be a useful member of society couldn't hurt either.

 

Seeing as our current education system (including the teachers) can't actually achieve the above with a high degree of success, I see little point in adding another subject.

 

P.S. My dictionary (Concise Oxford 9th Edition) says a sport requires both physical exertion and competition, neither of which usually apply to angling.

 

EDIT: Edited to correct the numerous spelling and grammatical errors; see what I mean about our education system!

 

a bit old fasioned...................... thats probably the most right winged surealist view I have ever heard on education!!

The fact that literacy levels have increased from the 1960's by 79% doesn't mean anything then??

 

yes well extra curricular would have to be how the practical element of this would be taught due to time constraints, however some preliminary classroom based lessons could be taught!! plus if this engages pupils then a degree of socio-citizenship and literacy can be taught through a module!!

 

and angling is a sport........................... fact!!

[Ken L]

I tend to agree that fishing shouldn't be on the curriculum.

As an after school/weekend activity organised by the school, it would be a great thing though.

[Angly]

The fact that literacy levels have increased from the 1960's by 79% doesn't mean anything then??

 

and angling is a sport........................... fact!!

 

I have no idea where you figures came from, nor do I particularly care, they may be correct; definitely standards now are higher than they were in 1066 too. My mother was school bursar in a high school, I have seen figures for every year she was there, clearly showing the marked drop in standards since the 80' at that school. I have two adult children who have been through the system, and my partners son is in the system now. Over 50% of all recent written school communications with us I have had to return due to either spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, or just plain incorrect information...and he goes to a supposedly good school!

 

That angling is a sport is a fact because you deem it so, or do you have some incontrovertible supporting evidence?