Another Step Backwards!

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Schools bring back boxing lessons

 

The schools hope they might find another Olympic boxing medallist

Boxing is being reintroduced in several schools to help pupils

develop their mental and physical skills.

Some schools in Bromley, south London are incorporating the sport

into PE lessons, under the supervision of the Amateur Boxing

Association of England.

 

Boxing has not been taught in schools since 1962, when a campaign to

ban it from PE classes won popular support.

 

Peter McCabe, chief executive of brain injury association Headway,

urged the schools involved to reconsider.

 

Olympic Games

 

The director of sport at Beckenham's Kelsey Park Sports College,

Matthew Strange, believes there could be a place for boxing within

the national curriculum " due to the massive impact it can have on

those young people involved " .

 

" This type of activity requires young people to develop a range of

mental and physical skills that are transferable to other aspects of

learning.

 

" It is therefore possible to see this programme developing

substantially as we approach the Olympics of 2012, " he adds.

 

Children below the age of consent should not be allowed or

encouraged to box

 

Peter McCabe

Headway

 

His school reintroduced boxing after it gave a new home to a local

boxing club that had closed down.

 

It had such a positive effect on the pupils involved that the school

decided to take things further.

 

Fitness

 

Head teacher of Orpington's Priory School, Nicholas Ware, told the

BBC his school had reintroduced boxing because it had wanted to

offer " as wide a range of sporting opportunities for young people as

possible " as part of the school's new sports status.

 

He added: " In a sense, we are not really boxing yet.

 

" We have had a year where students are engaged in fitness for boxing

which has involved no contact whatsoever - it's really based around

fitness using the pads and using the gloves.

 

" With all the right safety equipment and close supervision from the

Amateur Boxing Association, those who have been through this year's

initial training are now engaged in sparring, " Mr Ware said.

 

HAVE YOUR SAY

There are plenty of ways to develop fitness, agility and courage

without introducing boxing

 

Sue, Birmingham

 

 

Send us your comments

 

He added that only pupils who had opted to take part were involved

and that it was certainly not compulsory.

 

" This is purely for developing fitness levels in youngsters and

getting them engaged in sport and trying to identify who may be

another Amir Khan. "

 

'Brain damage'

 

But Headway's Mr McCabe said he was astonished that boxing was being

reintroduced to schools.

 

" I am pleased to hear that they have not really got involved in

fights yet and I would urge the school to reconsider. I think the

governors have a responsibility.

 

" Eleven medical associations around the world have said chronic brain

damage is caused by recurrent blows to the head, experienced by all

boxers.

 

" As long as it is legal to hit an opponent above the neck - there

aren't any safety precautions which can prevent this damage. "

 

He stressed that there was a long list of boxers who had died or

sustained serious injuries in the ring.

 

" Children below the age of consent should not be allowed or

encouraged to box.

 

" It's quite wrong and will result in more injuries which Headway will

have to deal with. "

 

1960s campaign

 

A spokeswoman for the Department for Education and Skills said it did

not specify which sports should be taught in schools so boxing is not

on the national curriculum.

 

" But schools are free to offer it if they choose. They should of

course bear in mind the safety precautions that should be in place.

 

" Generally we consider boxing to be best offered through boxing clubs

with qualified boxing coaches. "

 

Chairman of the Amateur Boxing Association Keith Walters said boxing

in schools could benefit children by boosting their overall fitness,

reaching out to disengaged young people and improving their self-

esteem, discipline and self confidence.

 

In the early 1960s Edith Summerskill MP tried to get boxing removed

from schools sports curriculum but lost several votes in Parliament.

 

However, her campaign won popular support and after many parents

wrote to schools asking their children to be excused from classes

involving boxing, the sport was gradually removed from schools.