Physical Education

Physical education today (Scotland)

An image of a girl playing badminton

This is an exciting time for anyone involved in physical education in Scotland. After a long spell in the educational wilderness, physical education is at last on everyone's agenda. A number of reports, government initiatives and programmes have served to raise the profile of PE and physical activity, including the following:

Stemming from this documentation are the following recommendations: 

  • All children aged 3-18 should be provided with two hours of quality physical education per week by 2008.
  • Children should take part in at least one hour a day of moderate physical activity.
  • Schools should be achieving health promoting status by the end of 2007.

Finally, there is the development of a new curricular framework under the canopy of Curriculum for Excellence with physical education falling within the Health and Wellbeing curricular area.

This development embraces physical education as a key contributor to developing the physical, social, emotional and mental wellbeing of children. It will identify key learning outcomes for pupils at each stage. It will also provide more autonomy and greater scope for innovation within the delivery of PE, whilst freeing teachers from some of the cumbersome assessments they presently contend with.

Definitions

The raised profile of physical education, physical activity and health has created confusion and ambiguity, with many people interchanging the terms and using one to describe the other. It is important to make some distinctions between these terms.

Physical education: a curricular input that engages the pupils in active learning experiences through the medium of activity and sport. Through physical education we can develop the capacities, tools and values that allow us to participate in lifelong physical activity.

Physical activity: a generic term for any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that leads to an expenditure of energy. Physical activity may include planned activity such as sports or jogging but it also includes other daily activities such as housework or walking the dog. 

Health: a resource for everyday life, a state of complete physical, social and mental wellbeing, and not merely a set of physical capabilities.

Holistic approach

This website views physical education as part of a much bigger picture, incorporating all the other contributing areas. It aims to encourage a more holistic approach, where PE and other agencies such as Active Schools and sports development work together in providing support - in essence, an integrated service that develops from the curriculum, has pathways between the school and the community and, where appropriate, is enhanced through external provision.