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Friday 7 May 2010

Canberra Grammar School: Education basket case?

Canberra Boys Grammar is the most expensive school in the city bar none. Holds itself up as the leader of boys education. But it's sports policy shows just what a sham of a claim this is.

Yes, I'm a proud Public Education teacher of some years so put that into the mix and read on.

17-1 that was the score for the Boys team in the opening round of Div 1 Under 13's last weekend. And the so-called leaders of boys education were hammered.

But don't blame the boys, absolutely no way, blame the Sports Master ( I think they still use that term) and ultimately Simon Murray the Principal.

This school has no idea what it has in it's hot little hands. It has many many boys who want to play football, yes even at 8 and 9, but the school simply won't allow them.

Why? Because some boys would vote with their feet and choose football over Rugger! God forbid we can't have that.

But hats off to Boys Grammar they did get Capital Football in to assess the boys pre-season and I'm told the Selector suggested they are a Division Two team. But Grammar didn't take that. Ego!

So of course they play Canberra FC first game, many of whose boys did HPP all summer and of course many train with Canberra FC from early Feb if not before. You see Grammar football is not to be follied with, it's a serious pursuit these days.

Canberra Grammar don't start training until the week prior to the season for football, but of course you guessed it Rugby has been training for ages.

The thing that gets me is the school leadership is just so thick. Imagine putting boys into maths and english classes way above their standard without any preparation. Could destroy the boys. Well why is sport and football any different or is the school only about academic and rugby success?

They have the best facilities in the town, their grass is even green, they have the best financial resources of any school, and with some smart training guidelines from 6 years onwards they could be producing players of National League standard and beyond in droves. Quite simply they have all the advantages.

Imagine providing this sort of educational standard in English or Maths they'd be laughed out of town. Do they really value all their boys?

And if I was a fee-paying parent I'd be in to them immediately.

The whole football community are laughing at Canberra Grammar right now; no their boys we feel and value what any young boy goes through when his team is beaten so badly; but what are they going to do about it? More Rugger anyone.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

HAHAHAH YOU ARE SUCH A FAGGOT!!!
The reason CGS doest invest in soccer is because we realise that it is a homesexual sport. Rugby on the other hand is a sport that requires teamwork and above all HEART!! Dont beleive me, watch a football match and tell me what the first thing players do after they score, the run away from their team! If you were to look at the competition in canberra you will realise that everyone who participates in soccer in this state is generally a loser, with no sporting talent. How dare you blame the principal for standing up for a school who prides it self on exceling in the game they play in heaven! soccer is a European sport that Australia will never dominate, yeah well done in the World Cup! piss off and die faggot

Eamonn said...

What is a Faggot?

And if you are a student of CGS please make sure you attend all your English lesson and less Rugby in future.

Do you know anything about either football or rugby?

Actually you'll find more footballers in professional sport from Canberra than Rugby players but of course only an idiot would take this as a sign of which code(s) has more sporting talent.

As for blaming the Principal; why doesn't he provide a quality experience in Rugby or football; after all the kids all pay heaps and surely all kids and their sports should be valued. Why don't you ask him?

And who talks about dominating the world in sport. Last time I looked the Rugby team were....well beaten again and again by little old New Zealand..just the 4 million there.

Unlike you I support all Aussie sports and wish them and their players, young and old great success. The problem belong you!

And there is no truth they play Rugby in heaven coz the game is so boring only the dead culd stomach it...or maybe there is!

Anonymous said...

I love how you comment on attening more english lessons when you clearly cant speak the language yourself, some teacher you are.. oh wait, public school system, my mistake. We got beaten by New Zealand, thanks for reminding me,it just sucks so much being the second best team in the world, and im pretty sure soccer is more boring, any so called sport that takes 90mins and neither team scores is so entertaining, but you're right there is not evidence that rugby is played in heaven, but heaven can be a metaphor for simply success, rugby breeds succesfful men.. soccer does not.. oh and pretty sure canberra has produced more quality rugby players then soccer players, CA Brumbies for example!
And Simon Murray left Grammar a year ago, wat to keep up with the times.. dick head

Eamonn said...

You really are quite abusive hiding behind your Anonymous badge.

If boys pay a huge fee to go to school surely any parent and boy would expect a quality experience...no matter what sport they play.

If they get it in Rugby, I believe they do, that is great, but why the same said fee-paying students clearly get less something less than professional in football is very strange.

I'm surprised such a professional school would accept such standards.

The School are clearly missing an opportunity to not only produce great Rugby players but also, given the numbers who play football at Grammar and the facilities they have, they are missing a great opportunity in football.

It doesn't have to be one code or the other, it should be a quality experience for all students no matter what sport they play.

Maybe Grammar produces people like you; abusive, homophobic and anonymous. Is this what Rugby does to you...or is it just you?

So you are welcome to reply but a constructive response please. Any continued attacks on my goodself using abusive language will be taken down.

If you can't attack without humour don't even try. The world clearly needs more humour and less personal abuse...and so do I...got it?

Anonymous said...

I love how ignorant whoever wrote this misguided and uninformed article is. You clearly have no idea of what happens within the walls of Canberra grammar school, and I hope you never do. The reason pre season training started early is because the players took it upon themselves to go train; no one is stopping the soccer kids from doing this. The reason people play soccer is just to achieve a first’s blazer at minimal effort. And what makes you have the right to comment on a extremely junior team? Who do you play for huh? Oh and as for your spelling and grammar, little rich don’t you think?

Anonymous said...

I love how ignorant whoever wrote this misguided and uninformed article is. You clearly have no idea of what happens within the walls of Canberra grammar school, and I hope you never do. The reason pre season training started early is because the players took it upon themselves to go train; no one is stopping the soccer kids from doing this. The reason people play soccer is just to achieve a first’s blazer at minimal effort. And what makes you have the right to comment on a extremely junior team? Who do you play for huh? Oh and as for your spelling and grammar, little rich don’t you think?

Eamonn said...

so the school has no pride in developing a strong sports culture for all their fee-paying students....that just seems weird to me.

I can comment on what I want, it's a blog and I'm not abusing anybody merely having a constructive debate, albeit not with you.

Besides this ain't my view alone, don't you know what people are saying about Canberra Grammar and their sports programs across Canberra.....that's what caused me to comment in the first place.

Anyhoo go the Wallabies and the Socceroos and any kid who wants to enjoy his or her sport at any level.

Anonymous said...

all fair ponts. but at the end of the day, at grammar we have the facilities and the sporting staff. its just down to the kids to take it uppon them selvs and succed at what they want to do. its not the teachers jobs to do everything for the student, they have to pull their weight. and if it appears that only the rigby players are doing that then so be it.... that just sais allot for the soccor community here. so if your concern is really just that parents and students are being ripped off from sport, then i can assure you this isnt the case, we have all we need to suceed its just up to the student. and i think you will find across many private schools they are rugby domminated. in my oppinion this is because training hard requires determination, heart and hard work.. of of wich rugby as a game is based on so the students turn to it.

Eamonn said...

so Grammar let the students determine their own success, don't make me laugh....and at the moment in football it is shocking because the kids don't put in..we provide all the facilities etc but they don't work as hard as the Rugby boys.

Do you really believe the top Rugby boys work harder than the elite footballers anywhere in the World?

Think you'll find you need to respect both sports equally. Have you tried to control a football recently, it doesn't come as easy as you think does it?

Of course any old geezer can stick on a bit of muscle and tuck a ball under his arm and run.

Joe Roff used to run down the wing with the ball for the Brumbies. Try to doing that with the ball at your feet. A little harder I suspect, but each code and their players work hard. No need to devalue the efforts of either.

Respect all sports people.

Any educator worthy of the name would be looking at the cause of why Grammar sport and football is so poor and sorting it out and giving Canberra's highest fee paying boys a valued experience. Currently they are teaching and enforcingwhat..apathy.

Does this value occur to all subjects in the school. If the kid doesn't do the work, then stuff em!

So the school and sports staff take no responsibility for this; do they have no moral code to educate and enhance the learning of the boys in all areas.

Unbelievable, certainly unprofessional.

It appears then what people are saying about the School and their attitude to Sports is true.

If the boys produced the same results in Rugby the school would just say we provide Rugby it's up to the boys to work harder.

Someone's pulling my leg...and it seems to be you... and the school both.

As for Private Schools being Rugby dominated...what does that mean?

Those days are long gone in Australia, ask Radford, ask Kings School, ask Marist etc etc Do I need to go on.

If there are more football teams than Rugby teams at a school does that make a school Rugby dominated...or does it come from the ethos and the staff. What sport do the staff talk about, what sport do the sport praise and salute.

We saw the impact of this garbage at Eddie's over recent years didn't we. Not much to value there.

Good luck to you and your Rugby team and thanks for re-enforcing exactly what people are saying about sport at Grammar.

BTW is your Rugby team any good?

Anonymous said...

1/4 finals at adfa this weekend, your welcome to come watch.

Anonymous said...

Another thing you forgot to mention was the compulsory attendance of a sport at Grammar. I was only allowed to play for my club after filing for an exemption. Now if Grammar did offer a premier league side there are at least, in my year alone, 5 players that between year 7 and 12 have played premier league. These 5 players could make a significant difference in the team if they played. This isn't uncommon in younger years either where i know of at least 6 other boys that attend my school who are participating in either premier league soccer or Academy.

Yes, the Grammar school is predominantly a Rugby school but it's soccer teams are in no way disadvantaged. The grammar staff provides paid coaches, equipment, venues etc etc. Although it has already been mentioned it is somewhat up to the students to strive to be the best they can be in their given sport. This is somewhat affected by the Rugby team being a popular social group, but I have dealt with this and I get along fine with the whole of my cohort.

Please don't make assumptions in the future without doing the research first, from an educator I expected better, more informative complaints..

Eamonn said...

Thanks for your comments and good to get in players perspective.

Whilst welcoming our comments the suggestion that I'm mis-informed is not true.

We may have different opinions, we clearly do, but the people within Grammar, teachers, parents and coaches I've spoken with have helped me form my opinions.....so whilst you may not agree with my views but my views are formed from the information received from Grammar itself.

One point you seem to miss. I'm not talking about how good or otherwise the First Grade team is. This is of no interest, check out what is happening at ALL teams across the school, how they prepare, how they play, etc and then make your assessment.

Quality programs provided for all players, all teams? And I'm not just talking about rocking up on a Saturday and having a kick and giggle at ages 12-18.

Is pre-season worthy of the name, are players improving their skills how is this measured? Do all players turn-up to training, are all Coaches qualified, how are players assessed to play at correct level, are players fitness levels monitored, how is the tactical side of the game developed from year to year, is their a Grammar system of play...etc etc

Remember it's a school with fantastic resources in all areas, are they providing a reasonable football and sports educations..irrespective of the standard of player..that to me is irrelevant.

If you can answer YES to all the above I'll agree I'm mis-informed otherwise tis you who needs to rethink your appraisal of what is going on at the Grammar School.

I'll await your answer. This is not a "go" a Grammar..although to those in Grammar it will feel like it, more another example of who kids playing soccer in Canberra miss out on good opportunities.

At most clubs, they are run by volunteers it's hard to criticise volunteers, but at Grammar they have the resources they should be leading the way in football development; not winning don't confuse the same thing.