Recommendations to encourage physical
education in schools, including motor skills
in early childhood, and to create valuable
interactions with the sport sector, local
authorities and the private sector
HEPA Cluster Meeting Brussels, 4th December 2017
Paulo Rocha
Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth [email protected]
| Rationale: European Context
The 1st EU Work Plan for Sport (2011-2014) highlighted
the need for further action to promote HEPA.
The Council Recommendation on promoting HEPA across
sectors (November 2013) invited MS to develop cross-
sectoral policies involving sport, education, health,
transport, environment, urban planning and other
relevant sectors.
EU Work Plan for Sport (2011-2014)
Gave priority to HEPA promotion and identified additional
actions for MS and the Commission to promote HEPA.
It mandated the XG HEPA to:
Produce recommendations to encourage physical
education in schools, including motor skills in early
childhood, and to create valuable interactions with the
sport sector, local authorities and the private sector
(coord. Paulo Rocha, PT)
Monitor PA guidelines implementation (coord. Réka Veress, Hg)
EU Work Plan for Sport (2014-2017)
XG HEPA 2014-2017
Considering the XG HEPA mandate, relevant aspects were
addressed:
• quality of the PE programs in all MS;
• taught time allocated to PE and to other extra-
curricular activities;
• PE teachers’ qualifications;
• national strategies adopted in this context;
European Context
• PA low levels among children and
adolescents in the EU are
alarming; must be addressed
by policy makers;
• 4th leading risk factor for
premature mortality (WHO);
• Most school-age children only
practice PA and sport in school;
• In this sense, the educational
environment plays a determinant
role in this domain;
• School is the major institution
that can allow all children to
achieve, both through formal
curriculum (PE) and extra-
curricular sport/PA, WHO PA
recommendations (>60 min/day);
• Schools have a crucial role in
health-enhancing physical
activity (HEPA) promotion during
childhood and adolescence.
European Context
Supporting Documents & Literature
XG HEPA – PE Recommendations
Encourage PE as from early
childhood
• PA should be promoted from
birth through all life course
and at all educational levels
(early childhood, primary,
secondary and tertiary).
Lux Presidency: Childhood PA Relevance
Priority
• Encourage all MS to create
national strategies to
promote the development of
motor skills (e.g. running,
jumping or throwing) in
early childhood, and PA and
sport for children < 12 yrs in
cooperation with sport
sector.
PE curricular content
• From birth and during early childhood, PE should
include daily active play, enjoyable games (fun),
dance, and sports aiming to develop core neuromotor
skills, physical, psychological, and social attributes.
• It must respect maturity phases and
neuromotor/skills trainability (determinant to LTAD).
XG HEPA – PE Recommendations
PE curricular content
• Outdoor physical activities and sports should be
promoted at all education levels;
• PE and extra-curricular activities should foster an ethical
education, teaching values such as fair play, cooperation,
equity, equality, integrity, peace, human rights, and
respect of others' capabilities.
• PE curriculum should include health education concepts,
developed in articulation with education community.
XG HEPA – PE Recommendations
PE taught time
• The minimum PE taught time
recommended during compulsory
education should be increased to,
at least, 5 lessons/week (~ 5 hrs).
• PE curriculum/goals should be
adjusted accordingly with flexible
outcomes for each developmental
stage.
XG HEPA – PE Recommendations
Assessment in PE
• PE should consider the
possibility of including
evaluation based on personal
progress and achievements to
complement both formative
and summative available
methods.
XG HEPA – PE Recommendations
PE Teachers
• Qualified PE teachers should be preferred at all
educational levels. When not possible, as a minimum,
qualified PE teachers or certified coaches should counsel
and support general teachers.
• National coordination bodies should promote quality
changes in PE teachers training curricula and support the
implementation of methods to ensure teaching
compliance with a high quality PE curriculum (with > hrs).
XG HEPA – PE Recommendations
Extra-curricular activities
• Schools, alone or in
cooperation with other
organizations should
promote the availability
of PA and sports outside
PE curriculum (e.g. active
breaks, sports in club)
XG HEPA – PE Recommendations
Schools and sport sector interactions (infrastructures)
• Schools should cooperate with sport organizations to
increase curricular and extra-curricular offers, and to
ensure quality infrastructures and equipment availability;
• Infrastructures efficient management should be
encouraged and its duplication should be avoided;
• School sport facilities should be open (and shared) after
schools hours to communities and sport organizations.
XG HEPA – PE Recommendations
Talent development (Dual-career)
• Schools should create conditions to
support talent development of young
athletes, promoting specific measures:
flexible curricula and weekly
schedules (> time to train & compete);
school enrolment and transfer;
remedial classes, flexible exams dates
and tutor teachers.
C. Ronaldo, Best World Player
XG HEPA – PE Recommendations
Contribution of certified sport coaches
• Frameworks should be developed at
national level to promote cooperation
between certified coaches, schools,
sport organizations and local
authorities to increase school PA
offers and complement teachers sport
skills;
• This participation should not replace
compulsory PE classes.
N. Delgado, Bronze Medal Judo
XG HEPA – PE Recommendations
Schools and local authorities
interactions (active transport)
• Local authorities should promote
conditions to develop active
transport to and from school,
especially reducing car traffic and
speed near schools, and
developing safe routes for cycling
or walking groups.
XG HEPA – PE Recommendations
Schools and local authorities interactions
• Sport Infrastructures
Local authorities should develop efficient models to
plan, manage and fund high quality and safe PA and
sport infrastructures, and make them accessible for
schools, sport organizations, and local communities
• Awareness campaigns
Local authorities should develop campaigns to
promote PA and sport as part of a healthy lifestyle
XG HEPA – PE Recommendations
Schools and private sector
interactions
• Private sector organizations
should cooperate with
schools to develop PA and
sport offers for young
people, framed by
pedagogical principles and
ethical values.
XG HEPA – PE Recommendations
Monitoring
• It should be encouraged to
improve data collection
(qualitative and quantitative data)
on PA (using objective methods),
fitness markers and sport
participation of children within or
outside schools.
XG HEPA – PE Recommendations
Other Recommendations: Lux Presidency
Invite EU Council Presidency, MS and Commission:
• During EWS, give special focus to initiatives promoting
school-based and extra-curricular PA and sport activities.
• Encourage financial support for motor skills
and PE related initiatives through EU
funding programs:
- Erasmus +
- European structural and investment
funds
Invite EU Commission:
• Support and promote sharing the best practices on motor
skills and PE in EU context
• Develop PA guidelines for children in all schools levels, in
collaboration with scientific experts, WHO, targeting policy
makers, local authorities, parents, family and community
Call on EU MS to:
• Provide incentives to sports organizations, schools,
educational establishments, community and voluntary
organizations to promote children´s PA;
Other Recommendations: Lux Presidency
7TH TAFISA WORLD SPORT FOR ALL GAMES
Lisbon 2020
