IT’S that time of year when the whole subject of competition comes to the fore. Yes, it’s schools sports days.

And if you thought this is simply a time when little Harry and Sophie get to show how well they can run or chuck a beanbag into a bucket, think again because school sports pose a very controversial question.

Many believe it’s wrong to let children compete against each other because it’s too upsetting for the less able youngsters.

Others, like me, believe that not allowing children to compete in this way dangerously cocoons them from real-life and stops them from sampling the natural competition they will always meet.

It’s easy to understand the former point of view when you see the disappointment and upset that children not given all the obvious gifts of Nature can experience. It’s a hard lesson to learn that you can’t always come first or be successful at what you try, and that you have to applaud the more talented in life.

However, by not allowing them to acknowledge this truth at this stage we do our children no favours. By rewarding all the children in a “race” as though that is going to be the way forward for them is misguided.

Children learn by their experiences but they also develop sensibilities for which adults often give them little credit. There has been genuinely heartwarming footage recently of two instances of less able children winning races at school because the other children have got together to decide to hold back and let their classmate cross the winning line first and take the glory.

As an individual instance this is quite remarkable. It’s not generally typical of how life works away from school or in adulthood but it is a wonderful example of genuine selflessness.

Children learn by striving to improve at their own level. They respond to goals and dangling carrots to do better – whether that is to run faster or just try harder. It’s not their talents we are honing here but their commitment, their willingness to do their very best – even if it’s not quite good enough yet.

Competition in sport is not only rewarding but enjoyable and by removing the competitive structure completely we do our children a disservice.

Personal pride, determination and respect for others’ achievements can all be learned at school sports day — so why deprive children of that?