Decrease in PE lessons offers clue into child obesity problem
Matthew Vella
A report by the Auditor General into physical education in state schools has found fewer lessons are being held than the four, 30-minute weekly sessions recommended by the National Minimum Curriculum in primary schools.
Few primary school teachers reported that they held frequent and comprehensive PE lessons, as a continuation to those carried out by peripatetic teachers, who offer a weekly lesson for each class.
On the other hand, in secondary schools each PE teacher is deployed to a specific school allowing a sufficient number of these teachers to deliver all the lessons required.
The study says PE teachers in secondary state schools remarked on the lack of enthusiasm shown by some students towards PE, including “apathy and reluctance to participate in the organised activities.”
This attitude was also observed as a result of the lack of importance to PE in primary schools being carried on at secondary level.
According to the NAO’s study, “considerable pressure (is) being placed on children, teachers, parents and school management to give overriding priority to examined subjects both at primary and secondary level of education,” suggesting a lack of importance given to PE even by parents themselves.
“College principals, heads of school and teachers indicated that some parents considered frequent PE and sport lessons as not critically important to the development of their children and as taking away time from study.”
According to the NAO’s study however, a survey held with parents indicated a minority held this opinion and that a “considerable majority reported not to be so much against frequent PE lessons.”
52% of 444 primary school parents, and 65% of 406 secondary school parents interviewed by the NAO gave a rating of ‘4’ and ‘5’ on a scale of ‘1’ to ‘5’ – with ‘1’ being the lowest rating – on the quality of lessons. But a significant number in primary schools – 16% gave a rating of ‘2’ and ‘1’ commenting on the few lessons for PE that were provided.
There is yet no complete set of data on child obesity in Malta, although it has been acknowledged that the nation faces an “alarming” public health problem – one that costs €18 million a year according to the Health Ministry.
Child obesity was first recognised as a problem in Malta in a 1992 World Health Organisation survey showing that up to 13% of five-year-olds were already obese.
In 2008, the WHO’s survey on health behaviour in school-aged children carried out in 2006 showed a deteriorating situation, listing Malta and the USA with the highest overall percentages of children who are obese: namely 25% and 30% of girls and boys respectively aged 11; 31% of both girls and boys aged 13; and 28% and 32% of girls and boys of 15.
Another study by Grech and Farrugia in 2008 with 3,461 children aged between five and six revealed that over 25% of school-entry children were overweight and obese.
The same study claimed obesity could eventually cost Malta as much as €70 million a year.
The NAO is recommending that two hours of PE are held weekly in all primary and secondary school classes, to reflect the current goals of the education ministry to increase the frequency of PE.
It also recommended lowering the threshold of required experience of PE peripatetic teachers, by allowing recent graduates with a Bachelor of Education (Honours) specialised in PE to apply for the post of PE teachers. “This… is essential due to the experienced difficulties in recruiting teachers qualified in the teaching of PE…”
According to the study, since 2007 the ability of class teachers to ensure continuity of the PE lessons offered by the peripatetic teachers was negatively affected by a new provision in the collective agreement signed with the teachers’ union.
Through this provision, each primary school teacher responsible for a class on a full-time basis was offered the provision of an hour and half per week to work on curricular development. “This provision negatively affected the time available to teachers to observe and shadow the schedule weekly PE lessons by specialist PE peripatetic teachers. The agreement specifies that PE peripatetic teachers are expected to assume full responsibility for the class they are assigned to for the duration of the lessons concerned, whilst the primary school teacher carries out the curricular activity outside the class.”
Another factor negatively affecting the quality of PE in certain schools are the unsuitable and limited facilities and equipment available to these schools.
A more positive picture was painted for secondary schools, which tend to have larger outdoor areas and specialist teachers for PE, thanks to new sports facilities and the upgrading of premises by the Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools.
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