British Schools Champs

[madmike]

So what the BSOA have done is got on and found a way of fitting in with the wider scheme of things.

and they do a bloody good job too

[frog]

Do people from England not think there would be an outcry from English schools if a group of Scots decided on the rules for the BSOC and decided to base it round Scottish school year P1-7 then S1-6 and expected English and Welsh schools to just work out how their pupils fit into this system?
Doing it by age groups M12, M13 etc may be easier as it's faster to ask pupils how old they will be at their birthday in that year rather than faff on with dates of birth and work out which English year they should be in. Or go by the World schools rules, whatever they are.

[awk]

Do people from England not think there would be an outcry from English schools if a group of Scots decided on the rules for the BSOC and decided to base it round Scottish school year P1-7 then S1-6 and expected English and Welsh schools to just work out how their pupils fit into this system?
Doing it by age groups M12, M13 etc may be easier as it's faster to ask pupils how old they will be at their birthday in that year rather than faff on with dates of birth and work out which English year they should be in. Or go by the World schools rules, whatever they are.

Yes, I think if a minority made the rules up and expected the large majority to conform, then there might be an outcry. In the meantime, if I was upset about it and wanted to do something about, I would in the first instance take it to the BSOA Committee and discuss with them. You never know they may either (a) give some good reasons as to why it is the way it is, and/or (b) do something about it (even if it's just changing the name so the Scots don't feel aggrieved that the term 'British' is being used). It has been known! After all, the BSOA is only a group of volunteers doing the best they can from their perspective, and the current system has worked perfectly amicably for 20 years or so, so they are likely not to perceive a problem. I'm sure they would appreciate others wanting to get involved in the running of the Association, as there's always a shortage of volunteers.

I do know that when BOF years or school years have been discussed in the past, the vast majorities of teachers stated a preference for school years. It might be easier for Scottish schools to identify birthdays, but for most of the competitors they are more easily identified by school year (in which my children certainly compete all the time in a variety of sports).

I hope the weather at today's race was as good as it's been here - it will have been a fabulous day for it if so.

[AndyO]

I think we need to bring some perspective to this discussion.

The rules for BSOC are compiled under the auspices of BOF, not BSOA, and the rules do refer to the National Curriculum which everyone in the Scottish School system knows they do not follow, but the example given lets them work out easily enough who should be in what category. I don't believe that anyone in SSOA or involved with any of the school teams has come on here or anywhere else to suggest any confusion with the rules.

In fairness to BSOA, the website is informative and helpful for schools and teachers. The SSOA site by comparison is much more basic, but it does link to BSOA, SOA and ISF. Terry and Blair are SSOA and their enthusiasm is paying off with increasing interest in schools orienteering in Scotland. I hope that the day went well, and that all competitors had lots of fun.

[Red Adder]

It when I see threads like this I wish we could either do away with all these nationaliites and call us all British and genuinely be a single country or let the Scots (and Welsh and Irish if they wish) have their independence. Its not a situation that is a quaint anachronism any more but a waste of vast amounts of time, energy and money - and it not just O and other sports , but many other aspects of life too.

[Big Jon]

"BSOC is the only national schools competition and with between 600 - 100 entrants each year it is a great occasion."
No there is another national schools competition - called the Scottish Schools Championships - which is used, every 2 years, to pick a national team for the world schools.

[Big Jon]

That's because the World Schools (which covers rather more countries with a yet wider range of systems than just Scottish and the rest of UK year bandings) uses yet another set of birth dates as their criteria, one that caters for the majority of member countries I gather.

So what the BSOA have done is got on and found a way of fitting in with the wider scheme of things.

Why not adopt the World Schools system, then everyone would be working to a common system, rather than insisting on having an English system as well as a World Schools system?

[awk]

Why not adopt the World Schools system, then everyone would be working to a common system, rather than insisting on having an English system as well as a World Schools system?

Because, (and again, I'm trawling what might be a very faulty memory), the demand from teachers was for school year groups (and it's not an English system per se - it's the system used by 3 out of the 4 UK nations). I'm sure that if there was sufficient demand from BSOA members, then the system could/would be changed, but for definitive answers, one should discuss with the BSOA.

[DaveR]

At the risk of wandering off topic, the results are now up http://www.cix.co.uk/~neper/bsoc11/index.htm
Well done to all the athletes, helpers and the all the organising team.

[SIman]

... and RouteGadget and Winsplits.

[campervan]

Indeed the results are in and the kids are about to arrive back at the school on the bus.
What a service.
Looks like they have done well for a Middle Prep School.

Didn't even know that they went to one.
Sounds alien to me.

[AndyO]

It when I see threads like this I wish we could either do away with all these nationaliites and call us all British and genuinely be a single country or let the Scots (and Welsh and Irish if they wish) have their independence. Its not a situation that is a quaint anachronism any more but a waste of vast amounts of time, energy and money - and it not just O and other sports , but many other aspects of life too.

That needs a whole forum to debate, not just a thread on this forum, and it would be quite wrong to categorise the genuine social and political differences between the different nations in this United Kingdom as a waste of time, energy and money.

[Clive Coles]

That needs a whole forum to debate, not just a thread on this forum,

Such a shame a small handful of nopesporters north of the border have wanted to debate the rules that have existed for some years.

Let's instead celebrate the achievenents of the youngsters who qualify and turn up to compete and congratulate the winners and the club for staging a successful competition.

The last thing we need is a debate on Scottish independance. The Scots will get their chance to leave the union. If they win that vote will they be withdrawing from Nopesport as well ? It is after all the "UK Online Orienteering Community".

[AndyO]

careful what you wish for, Clive

[DaveR]

Such a shame a small handful of nopesporters north of the border have wanted to debate the rules that have existed for some years.

Quite right, all change is bad. The rules have always been like that so why start complaining now

Let's instead celebrate the achievenents of the youngsters who qualify and turn up to compete and congratulate the winners and the club for staging a successful competition.

I'll happily celebrate the achievements of all who took part. I also pass on my congratulations and huge thanks to all those who helped in staging the races and looking after the youngsters.