Chess scheme gets children on board
Schools across the county can make their move for chess sets which are being handed out to encourage youngsters to play the game.
A new scheme has been launched by Warwickshire County Council to give pupils aged from five to 16 the chance to learn how to play chess.
The Chess for Schools initiative is being backed by the Government and the English Chess Federation and will involve the distribution of 250,000 chess sets nationwide.
Cllr John Burton, Cabinet Member for Schools said: “We are delighted to be involved in this scheme which will bring enjoyment and many educational advantages to pupils across Warwickshire. Chess helps strengthen memory and problem solving skills and teaches players how to make difficult and abstract decisions independently.”
Under the scheme, each school in the county is entitled to ten chess sets – made by a plastics firm from raw plastic donated by chemical companies.
Warwickshire County Council’s Extended Services team is co-ordinating the distribution of the sets to tie-in with its agenda to promote extra-curricular activities across its 30 clusters in the county.
As part of the initiative, Extended Services is to launch chess as one of its Children’s University modules. The junior university scheme runs numerous modules including story telling, breakdancing and mandarin.
After distributing the chess sets, Extended Services is looking to organise sessions with accredited chess coaches to help young people learn and improve at the game.
The aim of the scheme is to:
Teach high level concentration skills
Increase intelligence from day one
Develop logical and critical thinking to the highest degree
Provide an opportunity to build self-confidence
- Give players the chance to compete for county, national and international honours
To find out more about Chess for Schools contact Extended Services Development Officer Karen Sheerin on 01926 742251.