S Unit 9: Sports Reading–writing: Physical education in school (B1+) a) Read an article on physical education in Australia’s schools. b) While reading, write down the lines that deal with the aspects listed below. 1. International success of Australian athletes: 2. Rules for the amount of time of sports in school: 3. Health issues of Australian teenagers: 4. Why physical education shouldn’t be compulsory: 5. Typical free time activities of today’s teenagers: 6. Parents setting an example with their behaviour: Physical education and sport should be a compulsory part of every school curriculum 1 We pride ourselves on being a sporting nation, but when most of us are armchair athletes, who are we kidding? As we get into the footy season and look to the Olympic medal hopes of Australia’s elite athletes, let’s turn our gaze to the grassroots. It’s here that we need to do so much better – not only to lift our place on the world podium but, critically, improve the physical and mental health, social intelligence and academic outcomes of the broader population. Why sport is not compulsory in schools is beyond me. Sure, there are guidelines that recommend minimum amounts of physical activity – in Queensland, it’s 30 minutes per day in primary, and two hours a week in lower secondary – but when as little as 15% of schools follow them, guidelines are useless. Every few years, someone calls for mandating sport in the curriculum. What are we waiting for? Obesity is getting worse, and fat kids typically become fat adults. A report in The Courier-Mail this week shows 27% of Queensland kids are overweight or obese. Diet is a factor, but when every expert and scientific indicator screams at us to move, why are we sitting still? Typical arguments against mandated sport include an overcrowded curriculum and a lack of specialist PE teachers. Not all kids have interest, skill or confidence in playing sport. On the other hand, physical activity has been proven to not only trim waistlines but also boost mental well-being and academic performance. Children today do not exercise accidentally. Too many are glued to screens, wouldn’t have a clue how to climb a tree, don’t walk to school, ride bikes or explore the outdoors anywhere near as much as in generations past. Parents too are woefully inactive. 60% of adults do no formal exercise – walking from the couch to the fridge doesn’t count – so kids lack role models. A confluence of factors conspires against kids playing sport after the age of 14, as ABS statistics bear out. It is precisely during these later years that teens, in vital stages of emotional development and influenced greatly by peers and rubbish on the internet, need to be involved. Sport keeps them out of trouble and teaches valuable life skills such as team work, leadership and resilience. Yet commonly, in senior schooling, the focus is on academics, and anyone who chooses PE as a subject is marked as a dimwit. Playing “too much” sport is bad. How shortsighted. Becoming a nation of sloths is a cost no economy can afford and no society should accept. (www.couriermail.com.au; adapted) 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 156 Semester self-checks Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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