‘From being the other subject to being the alternative’ Pt 3
by Roxell John
In the first two parts of this series, I looked at a brief outline of the physical education programme and how it should be synchronised in schools. We now need to focus on how we should have our system structured from Pre-School to the international bodies on our Pyramid of Physical Education.{{more}}
The following are my suggestions:
1. Begin with âSports for allâ: Mass participation in school with a properly synchronised programme leading toward competitive sports in the higher grades of this level after proper coaching and preparation.
2. From schools, we should go to areas organize coaching, villages and towns and maybe constituency organizedcoaching and competitions.
3. The National Sports Agencies which have specific tasks (which include developing coaching expertise) as well as charitable organisations that help to fund amateur performers must fall into place here. More coaches and Physical Education teachers should be given scholarships to qualify themselves. Various non- governmental agencies should help in this area.
4. National governing bodies that run the various national competitions, select teams and are affiliated to the international associations for various sports, should be entrusted with the following functions:
– Encourage participation at all levels
– Develop talent
– Select and prepare national squads
– Promote their sport and deal with disciplinary issues
– Organize local and national competitions
– Coordinate with their member clubs and with the international governing body
– Select performers for world class funding
– Train coaches and officials
– Control the finance of their sport
– Maintain the rules and regulations of their sport
– Work with other organisations
5. Special interest groups – These are voluntary organizations that represent and encourage particular societal groups to take part in and have equality of sporting opportunity and provision e.g. women or people with disabilities. There is a need for these to be establish.
6. The next body that should be found on our pyramid, is the Central Council of Physical Education and whose mandate should be to represent the National Governing Bodies. It is largely a pressure group representing and working on behalf of sports and the sporting bodies, specifically in the following areas: promoting participation, running campaigns e.g. Fair play, give advice on sponsorship and organize sport leadership award scheme.
7. The National Sports Council: This should be an autonomous body under the Department of Physical Education and Sports whose responsibilities should be as follows:
– To increase participation in sports
– To increase the quality and quantity of sporting facilities
– To raise the standard of performances
– To provide information for and about sports
8. Secondary School for Physical Education, National Sports Centres, Centres of Excellence, Sports Institutes and universities. This will allow us to develop and harness talent directly for our national teams. This will be the national nursery for sports performers.
9. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports along with the Minister of Sports enters the Pyramid here with the responsibility for the development of physical education and sports and related curriculum areas along with its specific branch, the Department of Physical Education and Sports whose officers should be sent to schools to coach and help teachers in the proper preparation of teams and students in the various disciplines as well as the planning and organization of competitions.
10. International Sports Federations; IAAF, FIFA, NORECA, IOC, ICC, NAFTA etc, with which we are to be affiliated for international assistance and organisation.
Each of the aspects given above can be further developed in detail.
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