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Principals differ over effects of hectic ISSA schedule
JC Manning Cup 'ballers' schoolwork suffers
BY COREY ROBINSON Sunday Observer staff reporter robinsonc@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, November 14, 2010
RUEL Reid, principal of Jamaica College (JC), is among several school heads who have admitted that the tight Manning and DaCosta cups football schedules are hampering players' academic performance.
Reid, who also serves as advisor to Education Minister Andrew Holness, said students spent too much time playing matches and not enough studying and completing assignments.
"What has happened over time is that the number of schools participating in these competitions have significantly increased," Reid said. "And where the problem arises is trying to complete all the football matches by December."
Reid, using JC as reference, said students who participated in the Manning Cup competition tend to perform lower than those who do not participate in sports, especially in the first school term.
"It is not only playing games in the week but also on Saturdays. It's almost as if it's a lifestyle," he said. "The schedule is extremely demanding and all I am saying is that it is time for us to review how we conduct the competition to make it more manageable for everybody."
Reid said one alternative could be to split the competitions into preliminary rounds. That, however, may not be as equitable or seen as fair to some persons, he noted.
Michael Stewart, principal of Porus High School, agreed with Reid. He said the current schedules stress students physically and mentally thus leading to a lapse in their academic output.
The effects are worsened, he said, when the games are postponed due to inclement weather.
"As principals we are very mindful of the contact hours that are being taken away from the students. Many of them are preparing for CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate) and other external examinations," he said.
"While we believe that sports plays a significant role in their development, it should not come at the expense of their academic performance," he said, adding that he has received several complaints from parents and students about the issue.
Ray Howell, principal at Edith Dalton James High, said, however, that the onus is on the students who wish to participate in these competitions to be disciplined and focussed in maintaining their academic standards.
He said also that principals had no grounds on which to complain about the schedules as they were the persons who collectively decided on them.
"It is expected that students who want to participate in these activities will show the discipline needed to maintain the standards," he said.
"My experience is that children who participate in Manning and DaCosta cup competitions do better than children who do no activity at school," he continued. "Unless you can show me data, I believe there is nothing to show that these children perform less than others in school."
Dr Claudette Christie, principal of St Andrew Technical High School, also placed the responsibility on students to ensure that they perform well academically.
Christie argued that there was little that could be done about the schedules, saying she was prepared to work with what she had to assist the students to catch up with the others.
"It all depends on the attitude of the students because even if you have good intentions, if you don't have the correct attitude, then it will not work," Christie sai
JC Manning Cup 'ballers' schoolwork suffers
BY COREY ROBINSON Sunday Observer staff reporter robinsonc@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, November 14, 2010
RUEL Reid, principal of Jamaica College (JC), is among several school heads who have admitted that the tight Manning and DaCosta cups football schedules are hampering players' academic performance.
Reid, who also serves as advisor to Education Minister Andrew Holness, said students spent too much time playing matches and not enough studying and completing assignments.
"What has happened over time is that the number of schools participating in these competitions have significantly increased," Reid said. "And where the problem arises is trying to complete all the football matches by December."
Reid, using JC as reference, said students who participated in the Manning Cup competition tend to perform lower than those who do not participate in sports, especially in the first school term.
"It is not only playing games in the week but also on Saturdays. It's almost as if it's a lifestyle," he said. "The schedule is extremely demanding and all I am saying is that it is time for us to review how we conduct the competition to make it more manageable for everybody."
Reid said one alternative could be to split the competitions into preliminary rounds. That, however, may not be as equitable or seen as fair to some persons, he noted.
Michael Stewart, principal of Porus High School, agreed with Reid. He said the current schedules stress students physically and mentally thus leading to a lapse in their academic output.
The effects are worsened, he said, when the games are postponed due to inclement weather.
"As principals we are very mindful of the contact hours that are being taken away from the students. Many of them are preparing for CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate) and other external examinations," he said.
"While we believe that sports plays a significant role in their development, it should not come at the expense of their academic performance," he said, adding that he has received several complaints from parents and students about the issue.
Ray Howell, principal at Edith Dalton James High, said, however, that the onus is on the students who wish to participate in these competitions to be disciplined and focussed in maintaining their academic standards.
He said also that principals had no grounds on which to complain about the schedules as they were the persons who collectively decided on them.
"It is expected that students who want to participate in these activities will show the discipline needed to maintain the standards," he said.
"My experience is that children who participate in Manning and DaCosta cup competitions do better than children who do no activity at school," he continued. "Unless you can show me data, I believe there is nothing to show that these children perform less than others in school."
Dr Claudette Christie, principal of St Andrew Technical High School, also placed the responsibility on students to ensure that they perform well academically.
Christie argued that there was little that could be done about the schedules, saying she was prepared to work with what she had to assist the students to catch up with the others.
"It all depends on the attitude of the students because even if you have good intentions, if you don't have the correct attitude, then it will not work," Christie sai
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