A high school in Canberra, New South Wales has approved Surfing as a recreation course in it's curriculum starting next year.
The purpose is to keep the kids from dropping out of school to go surfing. The idea is, that if they can take a class in this, then they will stay connected with the school and the education and thus the detriment to their education from surfing won't affect their ability to get employed after school.
Of course, there are detractors. The Federal Education Minister claims that this will make a mockery of traditional education.
I don't know much about the educational system in Australia. What I do know is that when I was in high school, I knew kids who got P.E. credits for Golfing. I figure surfing requires far more physical fitness than hitting a little ball with a little stick and taking a car to where it landed, or even walking there...
2 comments:
I just read a student paper from a surfer, and there certainly is a lot of physical effort and knowledge that goes into the sport. Archery counts. Heck, where I'm from, riflery counts. Why not surfing?
As an undergraduate I attended what was still, in those years, known as "Little Harvard of the MIdwest." Strictly academic, no physical education offered or required. And when I moved to Illinois, I had to take a PE credit in order to qualify for a teaching certificate. So...I took bowling. And to this day, I am a MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE TEACHER because I bowled for ten weeks. For heaven's sake, who gives a red rat's ass what the activity is? For non-athletic related career goals it isn't going to make a difference to anyone. BTW, I got an A.
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