Following the release of Professor Donaldson’s widely anticipated review of the Welsh education curriculum, Chair of Professor Laura McAllister, shares her views on how this could be an exciting and life changing opportunity for all Welsh pupils.
Today is a landmark day, not just for education but for all of us who want to see healthy, happy and engaged young citizens. We in the sport sector should welcome the Donaldson report as it is an exciting and radical review. One that should have a positive, life changing impact on all Welsh children as well as the future health and sustainability of our nation.
At the heart of the report is a mendasar review of the purpose of our education curriculum, a back to basics approach which will allow us to paint a picture of what a successful education system should deliver. As a nation, we have within our grasp an opportunity to make a real difference in tackling the problems of inactivity and obesity that are plaguing our country and bringing poor health to many.
As we well know, children cannot be healthy and active throughout their life if they do not have the skills to do so. It’s that simple and it’s something that we in have been shouting loudly about for a long while now.
That’s why we are delighted to see the critical area of health and well-being feature so prominently in the report. Physical activity, sport and PE must feature as the mechanisms for delivering the goal of happy, healthy Welsh citizens. The great news here is that we are already ahead of the game in taking this aktivitas forward; we have a way of creating a healthier, more physically skilled, knowledgeable and motivated nation. The work undertaken on physical literacy is something that we are ready, willing and able to bring alive with our partners. We have prepared the ground and this review provides the opportunity to put in place an approach that benefits every child in Wales.
We know placing physical literacy at the heart of the curriculum works. It is not based on a hunch, but on evidence from schools and pupils. As a result of data from the 2013 School Sport Survey schools such as Ysgol David Hughes in Anglesey have been encouraging pupils to be much more involved in the planning of school sport, leading to rising levels of participation. Ysgol y Strade in Carmarthenshire has brought about popular changes in the kit required to do PE and Shirenewton Primary in Monmouthshire is now offering a much wider choice of activities. All of these changes have focused around making pupils feel more comfortable during PE sessions and ensuring they enjoy taking part. Both of these are critical elements to igniting a lifelong passion for being active. Both are central tenets of physical literacy.
Our 2013 survey (which captured the thoughts of almost 110,000 pupils) also found that a pupil is 195% more likely to go on and take part regularly in sport if they enjoy their school sport experiences a lot. Those who have a confidence in their level of ability are also likely to participate more regularly. These are positive attributes that children will take into their adult lives.
Our research data shows that good progress has already been made here in Wales with 40% of our children already participating regularly in sport and therefore more likely to be physically literate. This is a better position than many other nations, but it still clearly shows the 6 out of 10 children and young people in Wales are not equipped with the skills to be physically active enough to support a healthy lifestyle. The survey also highlighted some shocking inconsistencies between different groups of children, with girls, those with a disability, or those from BME communities or living in poverty all participating at a lower level. It is no coincidence that the health outcomes for some of these groups are just as worrying.
But let’s be clear; physical literacy is an opportunity for all children, something that every child in Wales has the right to develop. A journey that all must have the opportunity to travel. We rightly would not dream of accepting that girls or children from black and minority ethnic groups will engage and perform less well in numeracy or reading and writing, yet we do for physical activity and sport. The lifelong consequences of inactivity are deadly and affect us all.
Schools are the one place where EVERY child has the opportunity to learn the basic physical skills needed to take part in different activities. Physical literacy is something that has the power to help build an entire generation of young people who are healthier, more confident and more able to participate in physical activity regardless of their background. However, schools must be given the guidance and support they need to help them deliver physically literate children with the skills, knowledge, confidence and motivation they need to thrive in the future.
With this need in mind used investment from the Welsh Government to develop a Physical Literacy Programme for Schools (PLPS), which is currently on-going in 66 schools across the country. It has shown us how a focused, child centred approach can change attitudes and abilities towards activity and has helped us shape a new Physical Literacy Framework.
Today Professor Donaldson has set out very clearly the reasoning for a radical change and a way for Wales to be a world leader. Remember our Government has already made the ground breaking commitment to ensuring that physical literacy is given the same importance in the curriculum as reading and writing at the last election. A Physical Literacy Framework for every school in Wales should be an integral piece of the post-Donaldson jigsaw
We want to see all schools in Wales implementing this framework alongside the National Literacy and Numeracy Frameworks. We want to see on-going monitoring of this through school self-evaluation and inspection. Without this there is simply no guarantee that every child will leave school as confident, motivated and healthy young people.
There should be no doubt that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for developing physical skills alongside intellectual ones in our schools, making a positive change to the lives of a generation. We have the opportunity in our small nation to make a lasting difference or to simply accept the rise of health problems relating to inactivity and do nothing to stem the pressure on our health services. At a time when we are being encouraged to consider the ‘Wales We Want’ the consequences of inaction are stark. Education Minister over to you……
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