6 Responses to “Boring playgrounds to blame for bullying?”

1. 

   Robert Barden said on October 10th, 2007 at 8:50 am

   In our school, we did spent some time looking at this issue. A group of student teachers working with us explored the area of bullying, had students mark on a school map where they were bullied, and implementing strategies, one of which included providing equipment and structures for playing of a number of different games, etc. during the lunch time.

   It’s also not just bullying that may have increased. I heard in the Australian media here several months back of a study showing an increase in serious playground injuries. It seems that since we removed all the “potentially dangerous” playground equipment, children have been more likely to engage in higher-risk activities in order to keep themselves entertained.

2. 

   Karyn Romeis said on October 10th, 2007 at 9:51 am

   I’m with Robert. We’re so concerned about removing all the risks from childhood that many schools have done away with playgrounds. Some have even done away with break time. My concern is that, without a break time in which to get rid of their pent up energy, they’re going to take it with them into afternoon lessons… while adults explore ways to address childhood obesity and wring their hands over kids’ poor concentration levels.

   The primary school my children attended had a beautiful playground, but the kids weren’t allowed to use it, because it was too large to be effectively monitored by the single staff member on duty. Instead, all 210 kids had to spend break time on the tarred netball court. The playground got used for extramural activities only. What a waste!

   How are our kids ever going to learn to assess risk and to make choices if their opportunities to experiment, even fail are taken away at this early stage?

   Isn’t it part of childhood to climb trees, play football/tag/whatever, to invent, create and imagine? Of course there are going to be broken arms, blood noses and skinned knees. But is the alternative any better?

3. 

   Almost American said on October 10th, 2007 at 10:57 pm

   There is supposedly a no running rule at my elementary school, but I never bothered enforcing it when I did playground duty last year except in the winter when (because of the snow) all the kids were on the tarmac and things got a bit crowded! We do have a good sized field as well as tarmac and climbing structures. They’re not allowed to use the whole field though in case they get too far away from the staff member on duty as bears have been known to wander across it! Any bear that isn’t frightened away by the kids probably IS dangerous!

   The kids are always looking for more things to do. They love to play kickball. Sometimes they get into arguments about the game – but they need the opportunity to learn to run their own games. The janitor handed out a bunch of old tennis balls one day last year and they loved him for it. We let them use some of the PE equipment – hoops and balls. It provides a good chance for lessons in sharing and safe cooperative behavior. The PTA is trying to fundraise to buy new swings – the old frames are there but apparently the swings themselves were removed some years ago because they were unsafe. One of the other schools in the district has spacehoppers the kids can use at breaktime.

   We have 2 staff on duty for something like 70 kids at a time, but to my mind there should be at least three. When we had three last year it was much easier to guide the kids’ play in positive directions, or even play with them. Whatever happened to dinner ladies doing playground duty?

   Don’t know what to suggest for Year 7 and up though. I do remember tag games continuing in Year 7 after we’d moved up from primary school, but probably not beyond that.

4. 

   Doug Belshaw said on October 11th, 2007 at 4:42 pm

   Thanks for the replies. The main problem is that schools don’t get judged on playtimes/breaktimes. They don’t produce statistical ‘outcomes’. So, think senior management, they aren’t important.

   Unfortunately, as any teacher will tell you, the weather, social relationships and the expenditure of energy are very important factors in terms of the learning experience.

   Children are not numbers on a piece of paper: they are complex bags of emotions, predispositions and inclinations shaped (partly at least) by their environment(s). At present we’re doing them a great disservice in most schools.

5. Netball » Blog Archives » Boring playgrounds to blame for bullying? said on October 11th, 2007 at 9:27 pm

   [...] Boring playgrounds to blame for bullying? Last Friday I was on break duty as usual and told a Year 7 pupil (i.e. 11 years old) to stop running. And then it struck me: why did I just say that? Am I really more interested in potential Health & Safety issues than this child, well… just being a child? The Guardian [...]

6. 

   yziwzdhqa said on February 4th, 2010 at 3:07 am

   sUouJS xjmcoyyuyxfo, [url=http://xmvogbufittg.com/]xmvogbufittg[/url], [link=http://sipfplrtgtse.com/]sipfplrtgtse[/link], http://xdnununrlqvz.com/

Leave a Reply