Most of the schools today are having inadequate understanding towards Physical Education. Often times, they tend to mixed up Physical Education from Sports. even worse, they inter replace the concept of Physical Education vs. Sports or for others they tend to combined it as one.
In a survey conducted about the Physical- Activity standard in school in Dubai by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) last November 2012, It has been found out some factors implementing a successful Physical Education program;
the school number of hours of PE class. It is a compulsory that the students must be having two hours of Physical Education class in a week. It entails a variety of physical activities with all bodily movements including the warm up and conditioning activities as well. Mr. Mark Webster, the head of PE department in Jebel Ali primary school once said that " Leading a healthy lifestyle is an important life lesson and as a school it is our role to guide youngster on this path." For him it is important that during early age, students should be exposed in Physical Activities through simplification of the lesson and making it fun so children willingly attend these classes. Song, dance, gymnastics and structured play are most likely they will appreciate to do.
In addition, Weekend sports club in school is in demand and really something to look forward for the students and parents here in Dubai. Football, Swimming, Basketball, Cricket, Tennis and Athletics are the common sports offered in the said club. The objective is to promote not only sports participation but the health and fitness related effect of it for the students. In government school in Dubai, the authority is proposing to increase the number of hour for PE class to 150 minutes for primary and 225 minutes for secondary because of the a big incidence of lifestyle diseases happening around.
Most of the time, as I experienced teaching PE class in one of the schools in Dubai, they are substituting the PE subject or most commonly known as PROXY with other activities or sometimes replacing PE class into maths, science or english subject suddenly just to have make up class or for the sake of completion of the missed class by the teacher or whatever which is against the regulation. chances are, students have been suppressed with the opportunity to play and educate their body plus the frustration and emotional effect of it to the students will somehow occur.
Teachers competency is also one of the essential factors in a learning process of Physical Education. Some of the teachers do not differentiate between Sports and PE and they make it very competitive. PE is an educational subject so regardless of the child's ability, they need to participate. Its fundamental aim is to educate the body through physical activities. Sports is an organized and competitive activities with a set of standardized rules and regulations which also help to improve one's physical fitness. PE is a graded subject in Government school but teachers still give it less priority. Teachers' empowerment is necessary to understand that PE is not an option and every child must be exposed to some kind of activity in the school.
It is important to start exposing a child to different physical activities at a young age for the development of the active lifestyle and will be able to carry those habits into adulthood.
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