Klebe wrote:Please, please all you orienteering schoolteachers, who no doubt do support and encourage youngsters and/or their parents, do not get blinded by your own rose tinted spectacled view of schools orienteering.
At my childrens school we got next to no support from the teachers. I printed the certificates, sorted them into year groups and sent them into the school PE department, or heads of year for distribution. The school did not even give some of these out, despite one year group being in a medal winning position. promoting schools events whilst the school has taken credit in the press for gold, silver and bronze medal positions whilst contributing the small side of nowt. Rant over.
This is important as the school to which Klebe refers is not new to 'O' it has a long and distinguished history of O with past pupils in the GB squad and others having been to the World Schools and even a current pupil who was extremely successful at World Schools.
It is incredibly difficult to retain teacher school support, a change in staff and pressures from LA and all the effort goes to pot. You can give trophies to try to retain it you can give time but it is down to the staff. Now if the government said O had to be done in 70% of schools or was compulsory at Teacher training Colleges we might get somewhere until the govt changed.
Mrs H's children go to a school with a similar past to Klebes (not so many superstars) but getting O seen as more than a passing interest is nigh on impossible. My son gets school support entries paid and those for other kids who wish to enter, they get all certificates and onto honours boards but to get to events is a different matter. Unless staff are dedicated and give their own time or are paid by private sector it will remain up to parents and volunteers.
Hocolite