The Main Problem in PE is Not Achieving Its Main Purpose

Watch it again. This video that I created using PowToon explains some of the main barriers why learners don't appreciate Physical Education that much. Did you know that PE100 SYSTEM™ has been developed to respond to the global issues and challenges of inactivity among school children?

In my experience, I found out that learners themselves have a positive attitude towards physical activities and they want to do things because they mainly want to enjoy, have fun, and make friends. Children are naturally enthusiastic about doing stuff.

Where or what is the problem then?

'The way things are' is the problem. The system is the problem. These children want to do things that they enjoy but instead, schools provide them with physical activities that are perceived as 'necessary in learning PE'.

How do educators brand an activity as something necessary to learn? I mean, learning how to swim is essentially necessary for water survival but let's say for example Basketball and dancing. Is it the popularity of the sport? What's with these activities that make them 'necessary in PE?

The definition of Physical Education in as far as my long-term memory is concerned: PE is an integral part of curriculum that aims to develop the whole child physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially, and morally, through properly selected physical activities and exercises. In other words, there is no such thing as 'necessary in PE'. But there is a thing called 'properly selected physical activities and exercises'. Proper selection of physical activities and exercises to be included in the curriculum is what schools should be working on. Questions such as - is the activity/exercise safe? What are its benefits to the learners? Is it fun and enjoyable? Does it develop the whole child? And so on...

See? PE's definition is about proper selection of physical activities. Now the next question is this: Who gets to select what physical activities and exercises to include in the curriculum? Apparently, schools think they should do the choosing process. Of course! I am not against that idea. Schools essentially should because they know what's best for their learners! But do they? Do they know what is best for their learners?

Let's jump to the purpose why PE exists in schools in the first place. A number of position statements and research from different organizations in the US advocating for quality physical education have been supporting the establishment and expansion of Physical Education in schools with great emphasis placed on preparing learners for a lifetime of physical activity (EPEC, 2005). The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends to implement physical education curricula and instruction that emphasize enjoyable participation in physical activity and that help students develop the knowledge, attitudes, motor skills, behavioral skills, and confidence needed to adopt and maintain physically active lifestyles (CDC, 1997). One of the topics and objectives of the Healthy People 2020, the source of science-based 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans, is to increase the proportion of the Nation’s public and private schools that require daily physical education for all students.

These organizations in the US are telling us the same thing—a more active populace is what we should strive for. There should be a paradigm shift for schools to lead physical education in a new direction: to equip people with physical literacy and help them become active for the rest of their lives. In other words, the main purpose for having PE as an academic discipline is to guide students in the process of becoming physically active throughout their lifetimes by letting them acquire knowledge, skills, values and enthusiasm to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle.

Everyone knows this is not only true in the US. It's a global concern for all schools and all countries. Nowadays, the main problem in PE is not achieving its main purpose. Our educational system has evolved drastically from the "need to survive" to the "need to be perfect" education. Many educators have become idealistic. Some may still be realistic. But, are there still existentialistic educators out there?  

Yes, I am an existentialist educator. PE100 SYSTEM™ is built on existentialism philosophy that emphasizes individual existence, freedom, and choice. It is the only existing system in the world that will allow students, teachers and schools to equally choose from many safe and high-quality activities. It ensures that students are learning and enjoying the process.

I long for the day when learners have the freedom to choose their activities in PE. I long for the day when students participate in the process of properly selecting physical activities and exercises in PE. And finally, I long for the day when students choose to be active for the rest of their lives not because they were forced in PE, but because they chose to be.