Homeschoolers Not Welcome at Spur MTB League

[Paddaman]

I can see the future:

 

The two opening game at Loftus will be:

 

Affies vs Menlyn

 

and PBHS vs "Home-schooled" kids.

 

and the winners of the School District D Rugby tournament is "Home-schooled",

 

Unfortunately, this in nonsense as very few parents have full on sport facilities in their backgardens and very few "home-schools" have enough children to man a full rugby side.

 

The point is however, schools compete against schools and if a league is developed to support this type of competition, allowing people not set into this system to compete undermines the integrity of the entire league.

(Also kids get school colours ext if they achieve in school sport, so having a bunch of "ghost riders" in the mix can disrupt the achievements of those playing by the "rules"'). 

[V12man]

I think your argument is morally bankrupt.  You are trying to justify going after a headline sponsor because it's too difficult or too much effort to understand the real cause of the problem, and address the root.  Spur provides financial support.  Try to preserve it.  For the love of ALL the children?  Isn't that an equally morally attractive argument?

You are entitled to your opinion on the merits of my argument - however let me - for the record set out the key points of my argument:

 

1 - The spur series consists of provincial and regional events - ALL the other provinces except Gauteng allow homeschooled participants.

2 - Gauteng province are intransigent in their willingness to modify their entry requirements to allow inclusivity - and we don't know why. I believe this is at best inappropriate behavior.

3 - Spur (and possibly Anatomic) sponsor this series (and the bulk of this funding goes to the support of the organisers) , and have a moral obligation to ensure fairness and equality in ALL their business dealings (aside from some legal obligations to do this in various areas)

4 - Sponsor of events have significant abilities to influence organisers of their sponsored events - failing to apply this influence is in my opinion morally bankrupt.

 

 

You will note that at NO POINT have I called for either a boycott of Spur or suggested they withdraw their sponsorship of the series - I merely call on them to apply the influence they do have on the organisers to do the right thing and be consistent and inclusive.

 

The corollaries to this, is of course that they can decline to influence the organisers, they can agree with the existing status quo or just not be motivated to do anything at all - but this should be made part of the public record in the interests of all. I am in the process of acquiring some shareholding so that I can legitimately ask this question of their executive - based on their share price data historically this is a really poor investment, but if needs be... see below.

 

http://www.spurcorporation.com/investors/share-price-data/ - please click on the 3 year check box - I wanted to paste this graph in, but it's not allowed

[Gen]

This runs both ways. The choice of rules also has consequences. We are not suggesting that rules be broken or that riders disrespect the League. Only that respect be maintained in both directions. It is very easy to accomodate Homeschoolers within exsting School teams, even if they are required to join the nearest to where they live.

There surely can be a solution to it..

 

Isn't there something like a Home School association where they can maybe affiliate as a participating school? What's the difference between that and a pvt school of no more than 20 kids (they do exists there is one in our dorp)..

 

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[NickGM]

I have to agree with most comments here, pointless going after the sponsors, they don't make the rules. Same as in any other sporting event or code, the laws are set by the organizers, the sponsors just help financially

I wouldn't say it's pointless, it could even work because spur are stakeholders. But it's misguided and it could backfire.

 

Possible outcome 1:

Spur to race organisers in GP: We are getting dragged through the mud on social media because your set of rules wont let home-schooled kids compete. Change it or we withdraw our sponsorship. 

 

Possible outcome 2:

Spur to race organisers in GP: We are getting dragged through the mud on social media because your set of rules wont let home-schooled kids compete. We plan to withdraw our sponsorship immediately. 

[Eldron]

This is precisely the point that should be used when challenging the bylaws set by (shock, horror) the regional organisers & body. 

 

Agreed.

 

The online petition is a great start.  If enough home school parents keep up the pressure things will change.

[Paddaman]

They already allow home schooled kids to compete in some areas. It's in the rules.

But only as ghost riders and due to local conditions and by-laws.  Which if analysed means a compromise was struck between some parents, schools and the provincial bodies.  The "homschooled" kid still had to jump through loops to participate, and is in most cases not seen as a competitor but rather a ghost rider.

This is almost worse than not competing at all......

[Gen]

But only as ghost riders and due to local conditions and by-laws. Which if analysed means a compromise was struck between some parents, schools and the provincial bodies. The "homschooled" kid still had to jump through loops to participate, and is in most cases not seen as a competitor but rather a ghost rider.

This is almost worse than not competing at all......

Ja that ghost rider bit is a bit stupid

 

 

 

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[lechatnoir]

Why not just let the home-schooled kids participate, and if they win, great. But for schools ranking, keep that as a separate 'team' category, while individuals still get kudos. How does it work in other provinces? 

 

This is pretty basic common sense, so has probably been mooted already.

[Pipsqueak]

Wow. Two things stand out for me here. The first is the shattering ignorance that folk have with regards to homeschooling. How can a homeschooled child "not be at school"!

 

The second is that Spur poked the cat because they were not clear as to WHY homeschoolers can't compete. It's simple, and the argument of being bound to the mainstream school system and performance within that makes total sense. They handled this really badly, so in my book this whole fallout is their fault because of that. 

 

[Eldron]

But only as ghost riders and due to local conditions and by-laws.  Which if analysed means a compromise was struck between some parents, schools and the provincial bodies.  The "homschooled" kid still had to jump through loops to participate, and is in most cases not seen as a competitor but rather a ghost rider.

This is almost worse than not competing at all......

Which to me suggests that negotiations have already taken place so there is probably already a road map of how to proceed in Gauteng.

 

Personally I think the ghost rider solution is correct. A parent has specifically chosen not to send their child to school but still wants the perks of being in school. That isn't right.

 

The league is school based not individual based so it makes sense that the home schoolers doesn't contribute points to any school or affect the league in any way.

 

I'm all for lobbying to let them participate but draw the line at forcing a school league to accommodate someone who has chosen not to be part of the school system. That smacks a little of me me me ME!

[Jewbacca]

But the CHILD doesn't usually choose to be home schooled. This is impacting children. 

 

That sucks.

 

This is all adult talk. 

 

This league is about kids. Let them bloody ride

[PygaSchmyga]

The petition is not asking Spur to drop their support. It is appealing to them to lead an opportunity that can easily benefit all parties (including the Spur brand).

Spur already benefits, as do the kids who ride in the series.  You are raising a peripheral issue, arising in a single region, affecting a very small number of potential participants.  This is not, and should not be Spur's problem.

 

It is disingenuous to raise a pitchmob, attack the hand that feeds, and then say "Oh well, if Spur fixes this NEW mess, NOT of their making, they will come out smelling like roses".  Why should they? 

 

You run the VERY real risk of the unintended consequence that Spur says fu#kit, we don't need all this noise and just bins the series - have you thought about this?  Why should a small group of home-schooled kids be able to wreck it for a whole country of kids?

 

Your petition should be directed at the source of the rules, not the headline sponsor.

[Skubarra]

 

The point is however, schools compete against schools and if a league is developed to support this type of competition, allowing people not set into this system to compete undermines the integrity of the entire league.

(Also kids get school colours ext if they achieve in school sport, so having a bunch of "ghost riders" in the mix can disrupt the achievements of those playing by the "rules"'). 

 

But then it goes back to the point that in the rest of the country ghost riders are allowed without the big disruptions you are worried about.

 

That said, reading more on this on the event website I think the problem here is that the series is punted as an inter-school event but you enter as an individual with no limit on individuals from a certain school - so it is really a hybrid of a school and individual event and now you end up with these kind of issues.

 

Maybe the organisers should have a rethink on how to structure this series? Do they just want to grow mtb'ing as a school sport via a league or do they have bigger ambitions?

[Paddaman]

Which to me suggests that negotiations have already taken place so there is probably already a road map of how to proceed in Gauteng.

 

Personally I think the ghost rider solution is correct. A parent has specifically chosen not to send their child to school but still wants the perks of being in school. That isn't right.

 

The league is school based not individual based so it makes sense that the home schoolers doesn't contribute points to any school or affect the league in any way.

 

I'm all for lobbying to let them participate but draw the line at forcing a school league to accommodate someone who has chosen not to be part of the school system. That smacks a little of me me me ME!

The pandora's box starts to open.  Menlyn Park, WonderboomSuid and Affies have teams riding in the league and hypothetically they are racing the last race and the points are close, and a ghost rider blocks the Affies kid in the sprint or bridges a Menlynpark breakaway dragging the Wonderboom sprinter back into the breakaway or lets a gap develop on the single track blocking half of one teams members out of the break?  Then the teams decide to "Sort" the "problem" out afterwards?

 

or worse, on a long gravel road the teams adopt road racing tactics and attack the lone "homeschooler" to destruction, or the homeschooler's agree to "ride" leadout for a weaker school's sprinter?

 

Being an individual, participant in a team event again undermines the integrity of the event.

 

The best solution suggested so far is for the Homeschooling representative body (if such a body exists)  to request permission to enter a "homeschool" team as a school team in the league.  In this way we can compare apples with apples, and not apples with pears.

[V12man]

 someone who has chosen not to be part of the school system.

Here is a small rub - they ARE part of the school system - they are registered, monitored, approved of and have legal requirements and curriculae provided by government - and they are inspected by government and tested as well - how can they not be part of the school system?

 

For the record - my kids are not home schooled - but I understand why parents/kids sometimes prefer the home schooling route - and believe me, it is in no way easier for the kids or parents than regular schooling.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Here is a small rub - they ARE part of the school system - they are registered, monitored, approved of and have legal requirements and curriculae provided by government - and they are inspected by government and tested as well - how can they not be part of the school system?

 

For the record - my kids are not home schooled - but I understand why parents/kids sometimes prefer the home schooling route - and believe me, it is in no way easier for the kids or parents than regular schooling.

Yip. This is absolutely true...