How can you come third in a race but be denied the bronze medal, which was awarded instead to the fourth-placed competitor?
By being a home-schooled competitor participating in an event administered by an outfit called School Sport New Zealand.
We learned this from Centrist, which reports:
A 13-year-old girl who placed third in a top school mountain biking event was denied her bronze medal simply because she’s home-schooled.
Amelia Twiss outpaced her rivals at the North Island School Champs in Tauranga, finishing ahead of the fourth-place rider who was awarded the medal in her place.
“It just feels really disappointing, and it’s awkward,” Amelia said. “They feel embarrassed to say where they came, because they didn’t actually come in that place.”
School Sport New Zealand permits home-schooled children to race – but not to win.
“These events are for school students representing their school,” said CEO Mike Summerell, defending the decision.
“Home-educated students have chosen a different learning pathway.”
He suggested home-schooled students may have more time to train, implying their participation may skew results.
But – Centrist reports – Amelia and fellow rider George Fisher, who was also denied a podium spot, will cycle over 500km from Cambridge to Parliament next month with a petition.
They aim to arrive during Youth Parliament, where Youth MPs will formally present their case to lawmakers.
Amelia’s mother, Toni, said the issue isn’t about policy nuance but basic fairness:
“They’re allowed to race, they pay the entry fees, they compete by the same rules — and then they’re erased from the podium. That’s not sport.”
There are more than 10,000 home-schooled students in New Zealand.
A thought from PoO: why not change the School Sport New Zealand rules to ensure children don’t get to the starting blocks if they are going to be denied a medal?
Allowing kids to participate – and maybe come first, second or third – but then deny them a medal is mean-spirited. And barmy.
Amelia Twiss outpaced her rivals at the North Island School Champs in Tauranga, finishing ahead of the fourth-place rider who was awarded the medal in her place.
“It just feels really disappointing, and it’s awkward,” Amelia said. “They feel embarrassed to say where they came, because they didn’t actually come in that place.”
School Sport New Zealand permits home-schooled children to race – but not to win.
“These events are for school students representing their school,” said CEO Mike Summerell, defending the decision.
“Home-educated students have chosen a different learning pathway.”
He suggested home-schooled students may have more time to train, implying their participation may skew results.
But – Centrist reports – Amelia and fellow rider George Fisher, who was also denied a podium spot, will cycle over 500km from Cambridge to Parliament next month with a petition.
They aim to arrive during Youth Parliament, where Youth MPs will formally present their case to lawmakers.
Amelia’s mother, Toni, said the issue isn’t about policy nuance but basic fairness:
“They’re allowed to race, they pay the entry fees, they compete by the same rules — and then they’re erased from the podium. That’s not sport.”
There are more than 10,000 home-schooled students in New Zealand.
A thought from PoO: why not change the School Sport New Zealand rules to ensure children don’t get to the starting blocks if they are going to be denied a medal?
Allowing kids to participate – and maybe come first, second or third – but then deny them a medal is mean-spirited. And barmy.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
5 comments:
Or why not change the School Sport New Zealand rules to allow home-schooled children to represent the ‘Home-School School’? The children could then compete to win as representatives of their ‘school’, alongside the children representing other traditional schools.
Mike Summerell clearly is unfit to be the CEO if he can't see the fault with his reasoning. If you accept the individual's right to compete, much less take entrance money from them, then that individual has every right to be treated the same as every other competitor, including receiving any acknowledgment that goes with any specific achievement, like winning.
I say, good on Amelia and George for their intention of bringing this absurdity to the attention of Parliament and, hopefully in the process, more of the public in general.
Be interesting if the intermediate kids cleaned up at the Home Scool sports. That they wouldn't be able to enter? Mike's right when he says home schooled have chosen a different pathway. Year 7+8 kids from primary schools don't go to the Intermediate schools sports events.
Homes choolers have chosen a different 'Learning Pathway ' says Mike . Seems , to me as if Mike is antagonistic to home learning . He also declares homeschoolers have ' more time ' to practise. A very personal and decided bias , I feel. A proportion of home schoolers are the products of bullying at schools or other behaviour problems for which we in NZ are notorious for compared with other countries.
I 'm sorry Mike , but I can't help thinking you are also a bully of sorts and intolerant of difference in others personal choices .. With the many ideological agendas schools have got into , and their poor academic achievements, I think NZ schools are unsafe places for sensitive children and those keen on learning with a strong knowledge base and effective methods.
'He suggested home-schooled students may have more time to train' - how does Mike know how much time the school-going kids MAY have spent on training?
what a pathetic bully! i wish he could learn to pick on someone his own size :(
Post a Comment
Thanks for engaging in the debate!
Because this is a public forum, we will only publish comments that are respectful and do NOT contain links to other sites. We appreciate your cooperation.