Chess in school

Ok Andy your right. Its just a word and after about 3 hours of looking up things about it, I can come up with only one hard and unconceivable fact. That it is an empty word and I used it for the wrong purpose.

Okay, back from the bathroom. By the way PLEASE OVERLOOK MISPELLINGS AND SIMILAR ERRORS BECAUSE IM ON AN ANDROID PHONE THAT KEEPS ALTERING SOME WORDS PLUS MY THUMBS ATE TOO BIG FOR THESE TINY.SPACES.

When a kid has to pick up a book ON THEIR OWN and learn from it.obviously it caries over to any and all areas of study.

I would like to see chess offered as an elective in schools as it is in many schools here in the US, especially on the East coast. I believe that the London Board of Ed has initiated a Chess in Schools program which is running currently.

I have my doubts about some of the mentioned benefits of chess. Btw, the alleged IQs of Polgar and Kasparov are not confirmed by them. Even if they were, studies have proven that IQ tests are something you can improve by training. I would like to add that what is asked for in an IQ test is exactly what strong chess players excel in - solving problems that require calculation and visualisation fast. I expect Polgar and Kasparov to achieve high scores in IQ tests. 

More importantly however, I believe that chess should be at schools, but only voluntarily. I have already had to cheer up so many young players who shed tears over a lost queen and resolve so many bitter arguments over touch-move etc. that I certainly would not want to impose the brutality of chess to unwilling children. It would only backfire. Similar to how the beatles were imposed on me when I was a child. I was innocent and had not deserved it.

I've personally known a number of kids that perticipated in chess study ay a going she and they perform much higher than average in all other areas of study. Coincidence, could be. But consider what a kid learns in trying to get better at chess. You have to read. A lot. Reading is what teaches you things on your own. Well, they learn to learn on their own. Might sound funny but ask any parent that home schools their kid and lets them play in tournaments. Their is a direct connection

Charlotte has a chess in schools program. I know several of the teachers.

Since you subscribe to his Morals of Chess, how about this essay he also wrote:

Schools are called upon to solve too many of society's problems as it is.

I believe that mandating kids learn/study/play chess in school makes as much sense as mandating that they learn dance/a musical instrument/cooking/interior decorating/auto maintenance/etc. in school. Which is to say it's a bad idea. The kids who aren't truly interested in the subject to begin with are merely going to go through the motions and not benefit very much out of what studying/playing they actually do. Particularly since it's very easy to live without being at all connected to the chess world, unlike (say) economics or math or something. In other words, there are better ways of encouraging people to play chess than coercion.

The question of benefits to kids playing chess is an interesting, but difficult subject that I don't feel terribly qualified to answer. Other than, perhaps, getting kids used to being more analytical and studious at an early age...assuming the kids will do serious chess book reading and post-mortem analysis.

I believe studies have indicated that those who play chess in school tend to get better grades. And in some ways, playing chess obviously helps/sharpens your mind. On the other hand, many people (I think) overstate the cognitive value of playing chess. It certainly isn't a substitute for reading a book or solving a math proof.

And no, of course kids shouldn't be ordered to learn chess. Only if they want to. EDIT: Sorry for all the mistakes above, its this phones auto correction function

Plus tje letters too small on here. Im getting to where I hate posting anything using it. Please disregard all the errors above.

Your right. Both of you. Should not be mandatory.

I think it shouldn't be mandatory, but be optional. You can substitute a non-major subject for chess. That would be nice, considering I'm still in school. 

I would have loved chess classes instead of music classes! For me, the wisdom of Nimzowitsch would have triumphed a million fold over the brainfarts of some Lennon guy. But chess classes would have been agony as well. Sweet pain to be endured on the way to improvement.

Many parents do not want to expose their kids to such pain. This is why many kids demand instant gratification. They are unhappy that they have to work to improve in chess, e.g. do not understand the necessity of puzzle sheets. I have told them a million times that solving sheets is just like practicing throwing balls in basketball training. The worst case are kids who cannot bear losses but enjoy to inflict this mental cruelty on others.

I also doubt that a kid will enjoy all those mentioned benefits of chess if they are forced by their parents to play (even if "voluntary" in class) or if they plainly do not listen. Many kids just love to throw pieces around without any awareness. I doubt that their overall marks will improve.I believe that many kids are actually forced to play by their parents who believe in such studies. The impatient, sometimes even ant-social behaviour in class is testimony to this. Other kids / parents may think that chess is just some little innocent boardgame like snakes and ladders. And then they can't bear it that a chess lesson is just as mentally challenging as a math lesson.

You also have to understand that the lessons are during lunch time, when the kids are hungry (often eating while learning) and want to run around. Other classes are after school, when the kids are already tired and have problems concentrating.