Opinion: how can our primary schools ensure that children can develop their potential in physical education and be supported in their journey towards better health and wellbeing?
By Frances Murphy and Susan Marron, Dublin City University
There are encouraging signs that physical education (PE) is becoming a priority for schools. Firstly, a large cohort of primary teachers embraced the opportunity to learn more about teaching PE in primary schools as they attended the annual conference of the Irish Primary Physical Education Association. Here, they learned more about topics as diverse as children’s capacity to engage in athletics, orienteering and yoga. They were also prompted to contribute to policy change with particular reference to a redeveloped curriculum for primary schools.
A second significant PE focus was on teachers at post-primary level as they warm up to teach PE as a recognised Leaving Certificate subject. This development sends a significant message to those in primary schools related to the benefits as well as the status of the subject. Thirdly, it is now possible for student teachers preparing to teach in primary schools to specialise in PE as part of their journey towards becoming primary teachers.
Such interest in PE at both primary and post-primary levels prompts us to examine where it all begins for our young people: what are the foundations of a child’s PE experience in our primary schools? Arguably, there are two key actions required to ensure that each child in Irish primary schools begins a PE journey that can make a significant difference to their longterm health and wellbeing.
It is time to consider how and if these aims can be achieved within any primary school in Ireland
Firstly, the allocation of time for PE needs to become a key tenet of any policy. PE is currently allocated just one hour each week within curriculum time and the most recent evidence suggests that the average time devoted to PE is 46 minutes per week. Broad ranging aims have been described to guide PE towards meeting the needs of individual children.
It is time to consider how and if these aims can be achieved within any primary school in Ireland. Policies that have focussed on increasing time for literacy and numeracy appear to be reaping benefits suggesting that time allocation is at the crux of real progress related to children’s learning. A weekly two hour allocation of time to PE needs to become a reality.
A second important issue concerns defining who is responsible for the PE programme in our primary schools. Primary teachers are the "constant" in the school life of the child. While only some make it to the sports or dance club, all children take part in PE classes in primary schools so the role of the primary teacher is becoming more important daily. Schools and teachers need to gain the confidence to plan and teach quality PE programmes underpinned by their vision for the child.
In the absence of such programmes, some argue that interventions by outside personnel provide answers. In other settings, sports bodies propose that sports coaches can teach within PE time and there has been considerable investment in this practice over the past ten years. It is important now that the role of sports coaches and others is clearly defined. They have a valuable role in supporting a teacher who is often teaching 25 to 30 children in a PE class. As the school plans a programme, just as any other curriculum related programme is planned, aspects of the Social, Personal and Health Education programme can be integrated as further support for the child’s learning in PE. It is crucial that this planning is highlighted by schools as key to progress.
The key actions related to time allocation for PE and the clarification of the role of schools in teaching PE are just two components of a policy that is needed to signpost a journey for PE in schools. The Department of Education and Skills has an important role to play in leading such policy development and in working with schools to ensure that it is implemented in practice. Schools can focus on their programmes of PE as part of their school self-evaluation (SSE) where they reflect on how they teach and how children learn with PE as a particular focus.
The Department Of Education needs to support schools when they have identified their existing programme as one that needs significant improvement
As part of this process, it is important that schools reflect on what PE can do for the child, the content of the PE programme, the budget allocation for PE equipment, the supports available and the "real time" devoted to PE. The department needs to support schools when they have identified their existing programme as one that needs significant improvement. This might mean providing an indoor area for PE (81 percent of schools reported not having adequate indoor areas to teach PE) or supporting teachers to teach particular aspects of PE. Schools’ self-evaluation of their progress in literacy has resulted in many positive outcomes, a similar process where PE is the focus has huge potential.
As schools address the question of what PE can do for the child in the primary school, they are engaging in a process that is crucial as we examine the learning of our young children, their physical activity levels and ultimately their health and wellbeing. A common understanding of primary PE is within our grasp and it's one based on schools developing informed policies and being supported as they implement PE policy in practice.
Dr Frances Murphy is a senior lecturer in the School of Arts Education and Movement at the Institute of Education at Dublin City University. Susan Marron is a lecturer in the Institute of Education and the International Convenor for the School of Arts Education and Movement at Dublin City University
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
