When it comes to physical education, it seems that Uganda is more advanced in its thinking than many North American school boards. Rather than firing PE teachers and cutting PE from school curricula, Uganda’s ministry for education has announced that they’ll be recruiting 3600 new physical education teachers over the next two years.
In justifying this expenditure, the minister stated the well-known (but often ignored or misunderstood) rationale of improved health among students.
However, he also expressed a benefit that is overlooked in North America but is of great urgency in a country with a long history of civil war…unity!
In education minister Kamanda Bataringaya’s speech, he appealed for local leaders to support sport in their districts as a way to unite their communities. In his words: “Very many countries fight each other but when it comes to sports, they are one.”
Fitness, health, national unity.
In Bataringaya’s words, “So, education should go hand in hand with sports.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Reference: Paul Watala and Joseph Wanzusi, “Government Eyes 3600 to Train Physical Education,” AllAfrica.com, April 8, 2010.
Dick Moss, Editor,
PE Update.com
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[tags]physical education,PE,physical education advantages,physical education and unity,sport and unity,sport advantages[/tags]
