Quality and quantity of physical education in schools needs to improve
Everybody keeps saying that we have an obesity problem, but the fact is we have a physical activity problem, which leads to obesity
Deb Vogel, retired physical education teacher
The role of physical education in schools is something that may have been taken for granted but there is a growing voice calling for changes to ensure children are being encouraged to adopt a more healthy lifestyle. Across the globe there is an increasing problem where children are getting less exercise than their bodies need. We are all familiar with the image of children and teenagers with their heads stuck in a phone, computer or television screen for hours on end, and this is now how they spend their free time instead of taking on physical exercise or sport. It is clear that obesity levels are increasing, our lifestyles are becoming more sedentary, while there are associated issues of heart disease, type-2 diabetes and various cancers. As a consequence the advice is to get children physically active and keep them active into adulthood. Experts have been in agreement for a long time that unfortunately, it is not just a matter of missing out on exercise and the social interaction that sport can bring, but there is a serious health issue involved in this type of lifestyle that will have consequences for generations to come.
Develop good habits from an early age
The big question has always been how to deal with this problem and like many issues, it is best to start educating children from a young age to develop the habits that will lead to a healthier lifestyle through to adulthood. As a result, the obvious place to start is in schools, but it is clear from examples that this opportunity is one that is either being ignored to some extent or not used properly. The problem has caused concern across the globe but we will look at the recent debates on the issue in Ireland as an example of the challenges and the possibilities for making progress. Various reports point to the level of the problem and suggest that over a quarter of children are overweight, while upwards on 80 percent are not getting the required physical activity. Much of the recent debate has centered on the role of schools and it is clear that not enough is being done in this area, with the result that calls have been made to make drastic improvements.
The issue with PE in schools
Writing in the Irish Times, primary school teacher Dermot Looney highlighted the problem by suggesting that children received on average just 46 minutes of physical education every week. He refers to a report carried out in Dublin City University which illustrates that 36 per cent of 11-12 year olds were below average in simple motor tasks. He argues that more time must be spent on PE to improve these skills and prevent further problems in later life. He also pointed out that problem was greater among girls and those of socio-economic disadvantage as they were less likely to take part in exercise outside of school. The problem does not improve significantly when children attend secondary school according to another well-placed expert, Brendan O’Malley, who is President of the Physical Education Association of Ireland, and a PE teacher. Although there is a greater time allotted to PE, he points out that the competitive nature of a small concentration of sports encourages only the elite to take a full part. The problem is highlighted by Niall Moyna, Head of the School of Health and Human Performance at Dublin City University, who has called for a change in the way children are being taught physical education in an article entitled School PE is part of the childhood obesity problem.
Aside from having more time allotted to the subject, he believes that the whole approach should change to encourage a greater understanding of a healthy lifestyle as well as promoting exercise.
If our children were leaving school unable to perform basic mathematics, we would examine the mathematics curriculum without delay. Why, when too many of our children are leaving school overweight, unfit and destined for a life of ill-health, are we not challenging what they are being taught in PE? The majority of children who are not involved in competitive sport leave school with little or no knowledge of how to design and monitor programs to maintain health-related fitness. Furthermore they have little understanding of nutrition, stress management or the impact of alcohol, smoking or recreational drug use on their health. This is a curriculum that calls itself “physical education” – and is falling well short of what it promises to do
Change in approach pays dividends
The practical advantages of a change in approach have been highlighted by Brendan O’Malley in his school, O Fiaich College, Dundalk, where he has witnessed an improvement in a short space of time. Rather than using PE as a means of preparing a school team for competition, he has looked at making the subject attractive to all by allowing students to experience pilates, zumba, sports science, athletics and a mix of exercise and games. He is also willing to embrace modern trends by incorporating iPads into classes as he explains in Give PE a sporting chance in schools.
That sounds strange because we see them as the enemy of physical activity but I use them to motivate students. So for instance, for my last class, the students put heart rate monitors on, did some circuit training, and all the information from the monitor was sent on to their own iPad so they could track their heart rate throughout and we could have a conversation about it afterwards
Not surprisingly Brendan is impressed by the desire of Ireland’s recently appointed Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, to include Physical Education as a subject for the Leaving Certificate exam. He accepts that there would be challenge to this proposal and in re-educating teachers, but believes that it would be worth investing resources in this area.
Recent research carried out by Oregon State University shows that frequent, long-term instruction in physical education not only helps adolescents be more fit but also equips them with knowledge about how regular physical activity relates to good health. The findings indicate that a trend of decline in physical education mandates for middle-school students is detrimental to developing the knowledge, interests and skills that serve as a foundation for a lifelong healthy lifestyle.
The issue of introducing good habits to children at an early age is something that is being discussed in many countries and another example worth checking out is the Active Inspiration campaign which was launched recently in the UK to help tackle rising levels of youth inactivity. Having identified problems with young people that are common across the globe, those behind this initiative began by working with 40 primary school teachers across the country to help redesign physical education lessons. The aim is to inspire children to love being active, and the organisation suggests how this can be done.
We must approach the way we teach PE to our children from a more inclusive starting point – one that puts promoting physical literacy first. We must help every child foster a lifelong love of being active, and we must help teachers give young people active experiences that they want to come back to, regardless of their ability
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