Schools Need PE
ALLOW me space in your paper to share my views on the need for proper physical education lessons in our Namibian schools.
Let me salute our education ministry for the effort in trying and encouraging the need for PE [physical education] in our schools. Back in the days of Apartheid, PE, through sport, united a lot of people in our country. Every weekend schools competed against each other in various sport codes, not only football.
Parents supported that too, they became regular spectators at match days. Believe me, streets were left empty, bars closed. Hence, crime was very low! Today, 22 years after independence, it’s the opposite. PE, the once loved thing, is now a shadow of its former self. Schools were well equipped, and well managed. Today, tour around Namibian schools and see if you can still find such schools.
Most schools are not the same anymore, thereby depriving hundreds if not thousands of learners their right to complete education which in fact includes PE!
What is the result? Streets are filled with youth and at the end of the day high crime rate! Virtually, all schools are without basic provisions, equipment, teaching and learning materials for PE. Many PE teachers are under-qualified and inexperienced, they have either stopped teaching it or do it against their will (I do not blame them).
The Ministry of Education has developed a syllabus for PE, signalling the importance of PE in our education curriculum. This was followed by Unam’s faculty of education starting to train PE teachers. The big question is: Where will these graduates teach if only few schools are offering PE? As it stands now, PE is a non-promotional subject.
Believe me; the future of this country depends on today’s youth. I once read an advert in a magazine: “A child in sport is a child out of court”. Why can’t we also stick to this philosophy? So many reckless crimes are being committed today by the youth, who were supposed to be on the basketball court, volleyball court and etc., but instead they end up in the magistrate court awaiting trial (sad)!
The take home message here is PE doesn’t necessarily mean doing physical activities only. There are many ways one can reap the benefits of PE. PE can contribute to the quality of life; promote well-being and a healthy life style for youths and in fact, adults in particular.
PE on the other hand can play the role of life skills in schools. The teaching of values, moral, respect for other people’s cultures, all this can be learned through PE. Now that churches are banned on school grounds, I see PE as the main weapon to fight off discipline issues.
To achieve all these, a stronger foundation is needed at primary level. What is the use of teaching PE to grade 12s when they were never taught PE before? Trying to teach old dog new tricks is difficult. PE should start right away at pre-primary, by the time learners get to grade 12s they have a better understanding of it.
PE is not like sport where participation is limited to few elite individuals, it includes everyone! However, PE and sport, if well integrated in schools can be a deadly weapon to fight issues like alcohol abuse, drug abuse, the HIV-AIDS epidemic, teenage pregnancy, and crime.
In conclusion, the Ministry of Education should now realise that it’s high time PE becomes a vital subject and it needs urgent attention before the situation worsens. Let’s not wait to strike till the iron is hot, but make it hot by striking it! Let 2013 be the year of success for PE!
Rengi Phillemon
Ohangwena