Flying Frisbee plan to boost participation in PE lessons

Published on Wednesday 12 March 2008 21:12

FRISBEE throwing and boxercise should be introduced to physical education lessons in schools to encourage more children to take up exercise, a new report recommends.

School inspectors believe the move would help tackle the large number of children who dislike joining in PE lessons.

The HMIe study claims pupils, particularly girls, dislike PE classes because they believe they are overweight or hate their appearance.

The report is critical of current practice and says: "For many of our learners, confidence in their ability, their self image, their views of their performance relative to others and their attitude to physical education, health and wellbeing are poorly developed at present.

"This is particularly the case for those who are overweight, shy, lacking in confidence, less well co-ordinated, and those who are not games players or are uncompetitive by nature."

Stuart Forsyth, a senior lecturer in physical education at Strathclyde University, welcomed the report for highlighting issues in the subject.

However, he disputes the conclusion that many children are disaffected and warned against a quick fix.

He said: "The vast majority of children enjoy physical education and the range of activities on offer.

"The report is a bit skewed in that it suggests there are issues for every child, and that this is a significant majority – it is in fact a minority who are disaffected."

He was sceptical about whether introducing activities backed by the report, such as boxercise, Frisbee and dance and taking children to dry ski slopes, would have the desired affect.

He said: "The profession should be wary of quick fixes and new activities. It is the quality of the experience that is the key for engaging children in PE."

Ronnie Smith, general secretary of the EIS teaching union, acknowledged the report's finding that moving away from competitive activities would help more individuals enjoy PE.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "We are keen to encourage all children to continue to enjoy activities into and well beyond their teens."

Liz Smith, the Conservatives' schools spokeswoman, coaches girls' cricket.

She said: "There are evidently still major concerns, principally that too many pupils, especially girls, switch off at an early age because they do not see sufficient choice within the physical education curriculum, nor enough opportunity to develop those sports outside school hours."

STAYING IN THE GAME

MEGAN Cassidy loved playing football until boys started "mucking around", trying to keep girls out of the game.

At 11 she is near the age when growing numbers of girls give up sport, discouraged by old-fashioned competitive games and unflattering gym clothes.

But her school, Our Lady's Primary in Perth, is taking part in a pilot to keep girls active and she is learning kick-boxing, music, rollerblading and gymnastics.

Running in 27 schools since 2005, the scheme has seen participation rates increase from 18 per cent to 26 per cent in 75 per cent of pilots.

Currently 56 per cent of girls aged 11-12 achieve the recommended hour of physical activity most days, dropping to 41 per cent of girls aged 13-15.

Last month Stewart Maxwell, the sports minister, announced 530,000 to allow the Fit for Girls programme, to roll out across Scotland over three years.

Megan, added: "We are doing things we'd never tried before. There are no boys there to laugh at us, so it is much better."