by Sherrylyn A. Toppin

The Ministry of Education may make participation in the National Primary Schools' Athletics Championships (NAPSAC) compulsory for all public primary schools from next year.

Chief Education Officer Wendy Griffith Watson, who declared the finals open on Tuesday at the National Stadium, told NATIONSPORT she was disappointed that some
of the stands were
"not filled to capacity" when there were 25 000 children registered
at the primary level.

"Next year, the ministry will ensure that every school participates,"
she said.

"Some parents are thinking that when their children reach Class 3 that they are going to be preparing for the Common Entrance Examination and shouldn't participate in the practice that is needed to do well on Sports Day, and then
there are some teachers too who have that feeling.

"I would say that that is wrong because most of the children who do well in academics also do well in athletics, and even if they don't do well, they have the experience of competing, of being determined and
setting goals."

Last week, athletes from Bayley's Primary – former champions – were withdrawn from the zone meet, drawing the ire of parents who staged a protest. Some parents took their children to the zone meet and a few athletes made it to the finals.

The four girls (Jalicia Burgess, Jaria Hoyte, Akilah Blackman and Sariyah Sherry) were 11th with 105 points, while Dishan Sargeant gained 11.5 points. Those athletes were taken to the meet by their parents.

The Chief Education Officer said no teacher
had the authority to stop children from participating in sports.

"There is a curriculum and the curriculum says children must be exposed to physical education and to sports. What we will do in our talks with the Barbados Union of Teachers and APPPS (the Association of Public Primary School Principals) is to have an agreement that no principal will allow Class 4 or Class 3 children to miss sports.

"You have to get the practice and school work balanced and therefore each school will have to look at how best to get that balance."

This announcement was welcomed by the physical education teachers of this year's champion schools.

"I would agree with her totally," said Ken Springer of boys' champions Wilkie Cumberbatch Primary.

"We find that a lot of teachers tend to favour the academics over the athletics and it's wrong, because the same ones that excel in athletics also excel in the classroom and I would like more teachers to get that in their head."

Alphonza King of Charles F. Broome, a school noted for excellence in the classroom and on the field of play, was also in agreement, but hoped the directive gets implemented.

Supporters

"I'm very happy that the chief has made that comment and I am hoping she will follow through on that. I'm of the view that schools should send supporters so that their athletes can have encouragement from the stands, especially at the zone meet because you can see everyone taking part from your school.

"I was very disappointed to see the numbers here during the semi-finals and also today [Tuesday] we have a stand that is almost empty.

"The children like to look up in the stands and see the school and when they don't they are crestfallen. That support does a lot for the children.

"So I hope that the decision made would be followed through on,
so we could have a full complement of schools taking part in the NAPSAC," King added.

This year, 58 of the 80-odd schools took part in the meet.