The Department of Basic Education (DBE) in partnership with the Physical Education Institute of South Africa (PEISA) will host the 2015 Physical Education Symposium from 1-2 April 2015 in Cape Town, Western Cape. The Theme of the symposium is “meaningful collaborations for a healthy, active and physically literate South Africa: Our children’s future depends on the action we take now!”
The symposium will create an opportunity for stakeholders, who includes educators, researchers, content developers, institutions of higher learning, Basic Education and Sport and Recreation partners, officials and other interest groups, to debate, share and advance the interests of Physical Education implementation. It will also serve as a precursor to the inaugural Physical Education Month and Physical Education Day of South Africa.
The event will also feature keynote speakers who will exchange their views and explore avenues for interested parties to collaborate to create a healthy, active and physically literate South Africa. Some of the issues to be discussed at the symposium will focus on demystifying the misconceptions about the non-existence of Physical Education in the school curriculum.
The DBE has taken a deliberate step of ensuring that Physical education constitutes an integral part of the whole experience of learning. Through the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement learners have access to Physical Education as a component in the Life Orientation area and this contributes to the Integrated School Sport Programme which is the pillar and bedrock of sport in the country.
On 8 May 2015 at 8h00, in celebrating Physical Education Day, the department with PEISA and the stakeholders intends to attempt to set a new World Record for “the most people star jumping simultaneously at multiple venues for two consecutive minutes”. According to the Guinness World Records, the current record was set up on 22 March 2011 in the United States of American. Twenty thousand children star jumped for two consecutive minutes.
Physical Education in schools can and should be used as a tool in development programmes and policies, including those contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MGDs).
According to the convenor, Norman Mphake, the symposium will serve “to reinforce the instruction of Curriculum Orientated Physical education and act as a catalyst for promoting physical activity in all schools.
The symposium is the first in the series to be held and will be on the annual calendar following this edition. In observing and celebrating Physical Education Month all schools including Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centres will be encouraged to participate in curriculum orientated physical activities.
Members of the media are invited to attend and cover the symposium which will be held from 1-2 April 2015 at the Sports Science Institute Conference Centre in Newlands, in Cape Town, South Africa. There will an opportunity to interview the stakeholders and participants throughout the symposium.
Enquiries and interview requests:
Balosang Sanki Lerefolo (DBE)
Cell: 082 836 8793
Charlene LAMB (PEISA)
Cell: 071 101 4460
