National Curriculum Advocacy

This website provides a gateway for teachers seeking support in the area of Health and Physical Education.

This area of study provides opportunities for students to develop knowledge, understanding and skills in relation to health, physical activity and personal development. The HPE curriculum incorporates learning about a range of broad capabilities that enable learners to be healthy, active, responsible citizens.

Teachers with curriculum responsibilities related to this learning area include:
– primary generalist teachers
– primary physical education specialists
– secondary health and physical education teachers
– secondary home economics teachers.

For more info click on the image below or here.

The attached article offers some ideas and strategies for promoting Health and Physical Education. 

A school community that promotes Health and Physical Education gives a clear message to each student that their wellbeing is valued.

* Source of article unknown

Please find attached a letter of response from The Hon Peter Garrett AM MP (Minister for School Education, Early Childhood & Youth) in regards to funding of HPE support materials for the new Australian Curriculum.

Why We Should Not Cut P.E.
Eliminate physical education to increase time for reading and math, the theory goes, and achievement will rise. But the evidence says otherwise.
Stewart G. Trost and Hans van der Mars
Thinking of cutting physical education? Think again. Even as we
bemoan children's sedentary lifestyles, we often sacrifice school-based physical education in the name of providing more time for academics.  In 2006, only 3.8 percent of elementary schools, 7.9 percent of middle  schools, and 2.1 percent of high schools offered students daily physical education or its equivalent for the entire school year (Lee, Burgeson, Fulton, & Spain, 2007).

Click on the PDF below to read the whole article.

The Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation Inc (ACHPER) has welcomed the announcement of the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA) to include Health and Physical Education in the National Curriculum. The decision comes in response to a strong recommendation by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).
National Executive Director, Jeff Emmel said that “both ACARA and MCEECDYA should be commended for their willingness to review the current development plan and cover all eight learning areas listed in the Melbourne Declaration of December 2008”.

“This announcement is a timely boost for our profession and ACHPER with its strong network of branches in the states and territories will be available to assist ACARA in the challenging process ahead. Educators and parents will be happy with this decision”.
Emmel said that “while the process of admission to the national curriculum development ‘club’ had been less than satisfactory it was evident that real attempts were now being made to provide for a more coherent and cohesive national curriculum. We are delighted that MCEECDYA has agreed to the curriculum entitlement that we have been advocating for some time”:

1”The prioritisation of Health and Physical Education (HPE) within Phase three of the curriculum development plan”;
2. “The inclusion of HPE as a core learning requirement for all students in each year from K–10”;
3. “Maximising within the overall package of required school learning the number of school hours that students participate in quality physical education and sport”.

Emmel thanked those kindred organisations and individuals who had continued to advocate for the inclusion of Health and Physical Education. He suspected that the National Health Preventative Task Force Recommendations had been influential but emphasised that ‘the growing evidence around active and healthy living as a stimulus for learning in the classroom generally would be an important part of HPE curriculum development”.

For Further Information /Interview
Contact
Jeff Emmel
National Executive Director
Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation Inc

Available to download below is letter to all Major Political Parties & Candidates seeking support and committement to quality Health & Physical Education (HPE) as a priority in the new Australian K-10 Cirriculum.

The article contains an article entitled "Active and Healthy Children Make Better Learners" including an overview of Relevant Research Findings on the topic.