The National Lottery have funded a scheme run by the Droitwich and Worcester City School Sport Partnership which is providing a Nintendo Wii console to schools that are part of the scheme in an attempt to encourage pupils to participate in PE lessons. Also provided are heart rate monitors to keep track of the amount of work effort from the pupil.

The Wii console is a computer game system that uses cutting edge technology controllers that allow the user to perform movements to control the game. For example, a tennis game, the user would hold the controller as you would a tennis racket and swing the controller to hit the ball in time with the visual output shown on the TV.

In my opinion, and experience in using the Wii console, there is a certain amount of effort required to play the games, agreed, but not anywhere near the amount to play the games for real. It is certainly going to improve interest in PE lessons which is the main goal but what is the point if the lessons are not “physical” as such.

I think that an attendance system would be better so pupils who attend a certain amount of PE lessons get a “Wii Pass” that allows them off one PE lesson to play on the Wii. The pupil then decides if and when he uses the pass. This will hopefully encourage pupils to go to PE lessons without a major loss of performing actual sports.