The booklet says children should be taught to co-operate
Posted on 11/25/2002 7:10:31 AM PST by Jalapeno
The booklet says children should be taught to co-operate
The traditional children's party game of musical chairs has been accused of breeding violence. A booklet, launched by the Education Minister Margaret Hodge, says that nursery schools should consider playing a less aggressively competitive game - such as musical statues.
Towards a Non-Violent Society, the booklet produced by the Forum on Children and Violence, argues that musical chairs only rewards the "strongest and fastest".
The Department for Education has distanced itself from the publication, saying that it neither funds nor distributes the booklet - and it says there is no ban on the game being advocated.
Instead it says that the booklet "merely advises that teachers might think of less confrontational alternatives".
But the Conservative education spokeswoman, Theresa May, called the advice "political correctness gone mad".
"Children have playedand enjoyed musical chairs for years," she said.
"This is yet more interference by a government, not content with just telling teachers what to do, they are now telling children what games they can and cannot play."
"Why," said the Dodo, "the best way to explain it is to do it." (And, as you might like to try the thing yourself, some winter day, I will tell you how the Dodo managed it.)
First it marked out a race-course, in a sort of circle, ("the exact shape doesn"t matter," it said,) and then all the party were placed along the course, here and there. There was no "One, two, three, and away," but they began running when they liked, and left off when they liked, so that it was not easy to know when the race was over. However, when they had been running half an hour or so, and were quite dry again, the Dodo suddenly called out "The race is over!" and they all crowded round it, panting, and asking, "But who has won?"
This question the Dodo could not answer without a great deal of thought, and it sat for a long time with one finger pressed upon its forehead (the position in which you usually see Shakespeare, in the pictures of him), while the rest waited in silence. At last the Dodo said, "Everybody has won, and all must have prizes."
"But who is to give the prizes?" quite a chorus of voices asked.
"Why, she, of course," said the Dodo, pointing to Alice with one finger; and the whole party at once crowded round her, calling out in a confused way, "Prizes! Prizes!"
Alice had no idea what to do, and in despair she put her hand in her pocket, and pulled out a box of comfits, (luckily the salt water had not got into it), and handed them round as prizes. There was exactly one a-piece all round.
"But she must have a prize herself, you know," said the Mouse.
"Of course," the Dodo replied very gravely. "What else have you got in your pocket?" he went on, turning to Alice.
"Only a thimble," said Alice sadly.
"Hand it over here," said the Dodo.
Then they all crowded round her once more, while the Dodo solemnly presented the thimble, saying "We beg your acceptance of this elegant thimble"; and, when it had finished this short speech, they all cheered.
Alice thought the whole thing very absurd, but they all looked so grave that she did not dare to laugh; and, as she could not think of anything to say, she simply bowed, and took the thimble, looking as solemn as she could.
Not really, that's my favorite episode of the Simpsons.
They always forget to answer the eternal question, "Who's going to work?"
The game is puppetry in its original form; I never would play it.
I beg to differ. First of all, I was not anywhere near the stongest or fastest kid in my elementary school, and I was very good at musical chairs. Second, Trivial Pursuit only rewards the person who has the best trivia filter in their brain (often the smartest person in the group, but not always) so should we make sure children never play it?
When I coached T-Ball a few years back we had similar rules. No winners, no losers, no scoring. The kids were fairly enthusiastic but not really enjoying the game as I thought they should.
Toward the end of the season I would hold practice by dividing my team into two separate entities and have them play each other while keeping score. They suddenly became serious baseball players who enjoyed the game immensely. It was night and day.
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