That's brilliant Carlos! The best news I have ever read about the spreading of chess to youngsters. I may mention it in the Courier when I have few results to put in - like the Easter holidays.
Thanks :)
Chess in schools Declaration
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Yes, that is good. Plans are afoot for a chess summer school in Bradford this summer - alongside the push for clubs to 'adopt a school'...
Hmm - it's a little odd talking to one of the Mr Men but it could be worse - Mr Uppity might be a step too far for me.
How are you approaching the 'adopt a school' initiative? We've got a huge chess scene in Sheffield but youngsters outside of the Rotherham and SASCA clubs are few and far between - something like that might be a very good idea. Can you give me any details? It might be something we could look to implement in Sheffield in some way.
Here's the declaration document:
http://www.kcfe.eu/sites/default/files/declarations/EN.pdf
and press release:
http://www.kcfe.eu/en/press/62
Seems like it was "our friend" Kasparov driving it
Don't wish to put a damper on this but I doubt there will be chess taught in schools in this country in my lifetime.
Adopt a school sounds good, especially if it leads to teaching chess on a voluntary basis(not Tesco but Chessgo!). I think that would require 'timetabling' by the schools, and a lot of co-ordination on our part.
You might just be wrong rekorts - and lets hope you are.
Regarding the adopt a school initiative - I wouldn't say it would/will take "a lot of coordination on our part". Define a lot.
Hi Carlos, if we are to hasten chess becoming part of the curriculum, I think a lot of co-ordination will be necessary. I cannot see any government paying.
Volunteers then, how would they fit in with school hours?
The aim is to have chess taught as any other subject (and not as an after school activity). It's no harder to arrange for chess teaching than it is to arrange for music teaching.
If you read the declaration it states:
"A. whereas the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, in its Article 6, provides that sport is among the areas ‘where the Union shall have competences to carry out actions
to support, coordinate or supplement the actions of the Member States’;
1. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to encourage the introduction of the programme ‘Chess in School’ in the educational systems of the Member States;
2. Calls on the Commission, in its forthcoming communication on sport, to pay the necessary attention to the program ‘Chess in School’ and to ensure sufficient funding for it from 2012 onwards;"
The whole point of it being endorsed by the EU parliament is that the majority of the member states agreed to the above, therefore funding is not the issue here.
Funding will be a problem, more so with the present recession.
Fifty years ago whilst I was at school we had a chess club and a chess team.
The chess club met at dinner time, if it was raining. The teams played Friday evening and had a guard(teacher) who couldn't play chess. We probably had one of the strongest school teams in Britain(all rubbish now-sorry Harry).
It seems to me that it would be difficult to have timetabled lessons without someone who knows the rules let alone plays. Thus my suggestion that ,rather than direct queues in Tesco, those suitably qualified, teach chess.
Now that will take some co-ordinating!
Fifty years ago the EU did not exist. Fifty years ago this declaration had not been endorsed.
Maybe i am one of those guys who always sees the positive side of things but my feeling is that the chess in schools declaration is going to take off. I rather think about what can be done rather than what problems may arise.
You do not need master level teaching of chess. Simple rule teaching and time allocated for playing chess (regardless if well or badly) is a positive thing, then the all the rest can come as a second priority.
I'm sure most music teachers are no Mozzarts, and most kids will never think "oh, I'll be musician when i grow up", but there are a few kids who discovered music aptitude through classes at school. I'm sure the same will happen once this program takes off.
Magnus Carlsen did not know about chess until his dad bought him a set and got him playing. That's all it takes. His dad was no chess brain, but by being exposed to the game resulted in him being the player that he is now (and probably the best player ever in the game).
Sorry Carlos, the mother of the best player ever bought the set.
Without getting into a slanging match, the EU has been going for more than 50 years. The point I am making is chess classes will need teachers who at least have an interest in the game(regardless of ability). Probably the majority of subjects taught were studied by the teachers, but chess!
We are chess players because we are interested. Unless we are only talking primary school, where music is a few recorders and a triangle, and chess would be mishaped pieces of plastic with no holes to fit in,we need a plan.
Thus my suggestion be prepared!!
I'm sure someone with the relevant knowledge and experience will figure out how to introduce the plan across schools in the UK.
Dennis, as you're now a man of leisure, I'm sure you can offer your services at a reasonable fee level!
Carlos, let us search for the last person to introduce a new subject throughout the UK. Pardon the sarcasm. They won't be in government.
John, when I really do become a man of leisure I think you know what my fees would be, along with a few others.
Some organisation would be needed, if you're going to be a gunslinger-carry a loaded pistol!
A bit of publicity the pistol could become a cannon.
Well, looking at this realistically - how much should a 'chess teacher' charge? For example, to clients I'm charged out at £60/hour (which is very cheap in my line of work) - of which I see enough to have a comfortable lifestyle. If I were to be freelance, I'd charge about £25/hour or agree a level of service on a fixed fee by agreement. Now, I'm not a good teacher or the world's greatest chess player - so let's say Magnus Carlsen applied for a job as a 'chess teacher' in the UK... I'd hazard that his hourly rate would be around £100/hour. Comparing our relative grades and applying this pro-rata to fee, I'd be able to demand about £60/hour freelance! I don't know about the rest of you but, if the money is available, I'm having a career change!
I understand that government gives grants to schools in order to be used for the teaching of certain subjects (i.e. arts and crafts, sports, etc). The amount given to a school will depend on the area where the schoool is. This means that money will be available (at certain areas).
I also understand that those people employed for teaching of certain subjects can be paid huge amounts of money.
Anyway, the issue here is not how much money can be made out of this, but how many more kids will be exposed to the game. Anything that increases exposure to chess is a positive thing.
Of that I'm sure we all agree, but we all need to play our part - this will never work without willing tutors and surely falls down to us as the chess playing community...
Finally Chess is getting the attention it deserves with the EU parliament endorsing the Chess in Schools Declaration. This may see Chess being introduced as a discipline in schools all over EU countries!
See article
http://europechess.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=139:ecu&catid=2:slides
Anyone for a job as a chess teacher? :)
They'll need plenty of them although it's not going to happen any time soon.