Homeschoolers Not Welcome at Spur MTB League

[Sniffie]

Varsity cup rugby, athletics, hockey excectra. Just because I am 20 years old doesn't mean I have a right to enter any of these competitions? If something is called a schools event, then surely same logic should apply? Perhaps I am missing something.

[coppi]

If the kid was from a previously disadvantaged group all hell would break loose and Spur would be considered racist ! I’m sick of this shyte........

 

 

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[Vetplant]

Can understand the concern of non-pupils riding in the name of a given school, so it makes sense to prevent this. But this should be done in a manner that doesn't prevent a home-schooled child from taking part.

 

Many ways to do this, if only it can become a priority for the organizers and the sponsor.

 

The argument that a home-schooled child would have an unfair advantage is counter productive. We want to develop the best riders, if that means homeschooling is ideal then let them do it and go win us some World Tour events when they turn pro.

[Eldron]

If the kid was from a previously disadvantaged group all hell would break loose and Spur would be considered racist ! I’m sick of this shyte........

 

 

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I never understand this whatiffery abiut race. Is this like an antirace race card?

 

If it was a kind in a wheelchair with cancer and immigrant parents who was hispanic and with hyperandrogenism would the world explode?

[Sniffie]

School A and school B are evenly matched in the Spur schools MTB league. School A 'obtains' the services of a talented and well trained home schooled pupil. B narrowly looses the league to A. So, is it wrong for the parents, pupils and coaches of B to feel pissed off?

[PygaSchmyga]

I never understand this whatiffery abiut race. Is this like an antirace race card?

 

If it was a kind in a wheelchair with cancer and immigrant parents who was hispanic and with hyperandrogenism would the world explode?

Spot on.   This whole "but its not fair" crybaby nonsense is getting out of hand

[Skubarra]

School A and school B are evenly matched in the Spur schools MTB league. School A 'obtains' the services of a talented and well trained home schooled pupil. B narrowly looses the league to A. So, is it wrong for the parents, pupils and coaches of B to feel pissed off?

 

But why is this rule only applied in Gauteng and not the rest of the country, and even in the other provinces the rules are clear that homeschooled children are not allowed to represent a school?

 

I would like to think that somewhere somehow there is a good reason for this rule, haven't seen it on this thread though.

[PygaSchmyga]

School A and school B are evenly matched in the Spur schools MTB league. School A 'obtains' the services of a talented and well trained home schooled pupil. B narrowly looses the league to A. So, is it wrong for the parents, pupils and coaches of B to feel pissed off?

What you all are forgetting is that this is a commercially sponsored series, and you treat it like everyone has the right to dictate how it should operate.  The complete arrogance of the approach really bothers me.  If Spur has a set of rules which preserve the integrity of the series and keeps their continued interest in supporting ALL THE KIDS, then this MUST override 1 single (very unfortunate) participant.

 

If, however, the rule is arbitrary and randomly prejudicial, then it SHOULD be changed, because then it serves no logical purpose.  I have , however, not seen a SINGLE comment that unpacks the rule that affects this young girl, and the reasons for it.  ALL I see is the usual moral outrage and mouth foaming

[Eldron]

This is not an impossible situation to resolve - allow her to ride as an independent. Tudah!

 

The problem sounds like an education department issue though because some areas allow home schoolers and some don't..

[Coolspin]

School A and school B are evenly matched in the Spur schools MTB league. School A 'obtains' the services of a talented and well trained home schooled pupil. B narrowly looses the league to A. So, is it wrong for the parents, pupils and coaches of B to feel pissed off?

If there was a category for home schooled kids then they could participate in the series.

Not advocating that the home schooled kid rides for a school like some kind of hired gun.

[Shaun Green]

Also, OP, have you tried conatcting the Pestalozzi Trust on this?

Not yet. It is not primarily a legal matter, but kind of hoping that the League organizers feel their consciences pricked after all this great Hub attention!

[ChrisF]

We are busy registering Maritz for this series, in the Western Cape.

 

Homeschooling is one of the options in the list of schools.  Ironically the school he attends is not on the list, have sent an email asking for his school to be added to the list.

 

 

EDIT - we were informed by the organisers that Maritz must ride for the school where he is registered ..... obviously there are issues around schools amassing points by allowing kids to ride under their colours ....

 

I will rather go through the effort and get his school added to the list ..... let's not forget the unintended lessons when we show them how to side step the rules .....

 

 

PS - I do hope Shaun gets "homeschooling" added as an option 

[TheJ]

So glad I haven't gone back to Spur since that last incident. This is BS.

[Shaun Green]

If, for example, another sponsor thinks he sees a gap in the market and calls his event: "The XXXX Home Schooled Mountain Bike League", and in his rules exclude pupils from traditional schools will we also be calling for a boycott of XXXX?

The Homeschoolers that I know are not nearly as ghetto-minded as to want to do something like this. We just want to be treated as the full tax-paying, restaurant-attending, citizens that we are.

[Shaun Green]

You are completely correct - and this principle must prevail.  There is, however, at least a question to be asked, as follows:  If the Spur league is set up in a particular way, and the needs of literally ONE kid were not anticipated when setting it up, then WHY SHOULD the whole thing be changed to accommodate a single participant?  Let me be the first to say that I do not know enough about how the series works, but what is actually at stake in changing the rules to accommodate a single disgruntled participant?  Can we dial back the wailing and tearing of sack cloth for a second?

 

This pitch fork reaction is typical hub mob outrage, and yes, very sad that a young girl  is prevented from participating, but what happened to the greater good argument?  How many kids have benefited from this series?  What risk to the entire series is presented by accommodating outliers?  I have not read the answer to this in any of the comments

It is not one girl. There are quite a few others. Last year in the Western Cape, there was a home-school kid who repeatedly came first. He was only allowed to race as a "Ghost Rider". This meant that he was ignored for podium, and received no seeding. Every race he started at the back again, and went on to win. That must be very demoralizing. How is that any good for Spur, Schools, the brilliant rider, the sport in general?

[Shaun Green]

Varsity cup rugby, athletics, hockey excectra. Just because I am 20 years old doesn't mean I have a right to enter any of these competitions? If something is called a schools event, then surely same logic should apply? Perhaps I am missing something.

wrong:

http://varsitymtbchallenge.co.za/2017/03/enter-now-varsity-mtb-challenge-2017/

"Varsity MTB Challenge is the only mountain bike race in South Africa with a unique university twist, whereby each participant (and team) rides for the university of his or her choice. This does not mean that riders need to be students. This race is for everyone."