Reference no: EM133051333

Write a multi-paragraph response (in essay format: introduction, body, conclusion) to the article below. Your response should accurately summarize the author's main argument AND critically respond to it.

The following article, "Get Sports out of our Schools," is by Ms. Dolores Slothe and appeared in Education Canada Magazine in 2009.

In these times of economic crisis, our schools are faced with many problems. Due to budget shortfalls, many schools are forced to cut so-called "non-essential" programs. Usually that means eliminating drama, music, and/or language programs. Sports programs hardly ever fall into the "non-essential" category. Even though, if we cut sports programs from our elementary and high schools, important benefits would result: fewer injuries, substantial cost savings, and greater fairness.

One major problem with school sports is injuries. Many school sports (such as hockey, football, and rugby) are full-contact sports which can cause life-long injuries for the participants. Back in 2007, fifteen-year-old Brampton-area high school student Manny Castillo even died from head injuries sustained during a school rugby practice. Full-contact sports, though, are not the only danger. Track and field events (e.g., pole vault and high jump) can result in serious injuries as well; swimmers can drown; soccer players can suffer concussions; and field hockey players can be hit with sticks. Why would we want to expose our children to these risks rather than ensure a healthy student population?

Apart from reducing injuries, eliminating school sports would also result in significant cost savings for the taxpayer. Millions of taxpayer dollars are spent on the costs associated with school sports. Take football, for example. Schools provide all the equipment free of charge: jerseys, pants, shoulder pads, knee pads, helmets, and so on. Also, the cost of transporting teams of players to games and tournaments is expensive, not to mention the costs of paying for referees. Add up all the different sports supported by the public school system and witness millions of unnecessary expenditures.

Finally, eliminating sports from public schools will result in greater fairness for students. High schools generally consist of a pecking order in which athletes are the cool students and those not interested in sports are deemed to be inferior. This hierarchy could be destroyed by removing sports. No longer will star athletes receive preferential treatment and excess attention for their achievements.

Money saved from doing away with school sports could support programs that are chronically underfunded (e.g., music and drama) and are traditionally the first to go in times of financial hardship. School sports are old-fashioned, a relic of the past when macho quarterbacks drove around in convertibles hand-in-hand with cheerleaders. The world has changed, and schools need to change too.