Figure 1.--A reader reports that in South Africa chess is often an actual school activity and not an estra-curricular activity. Many schools have chess clubs, but chess lessons are given in many classes. This photograph was taken at the Laerskool Primary School in Hennospark, located in Centurion, near Pretoria. The pupils are wearing the summer uniform. The boys wears grey shirts and short pants. The girls wear blue checkered dresses. They wear black shoes with grey socks for the boys andd blue socks for the girl. Footwear is, however, optional. Many children come to school barefooted.

Most American high schools have chess clubs. Some primary (elementary) schools also pursued chess as a school activity. Clubs were voluntary groups that met after regular classes at school. Less common were meetings before classes or in the evening. They would organize matches between students and perhaps invite experts to give lectures or demonstrations. Some clubs like the chess club would organize tournamets or arrange competitions with oher schools. Their are other ways of pursuing youth chess. It should not be thought tht chess was entirely an extra-curricular activity. While this was certainly the primary approach, we note that at some schools it was intriduced in the classroom. This seems to have been primarily pursued by individual teachers than on a school-wide basis. We note schools in some countrires pursuing chess as a school activity.

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Created: 3:53 PM 10/31/2008
Last updated: 3:53 PM 10/31/2008