About 20% of South African children are obese or overweight, a fact the authors of a charter for physical activity want to change.
”What we are trying to promote is mass participation and exercise for the country’s youth. It is hoped the document would become government policy and eventually lead to physical education being re-introduced as a compulsory subject in all schools,” said Dr Karen Sharwood, an exercise physiologist driving the initiative.
She said action was needed at school level to help curb an ”exponential” rise in sedentary behaviour among youth, which they carried on in later life.
Regular participation in physical activity and sport was associated with a range of physical and mental benefits, such as reduced risk of cardiovascular disease in children and adolescents.
”Physical activity, such as running and jumping, can also enhance the psychological well-being of young people, enhancing self esteem, and reduce depression and anxiety.”
Sharwood said the endeavour started in October last year, when it was found that physical education was no longer a priority at schools, and when taught, was only one hour per week even in the more affluent schools.
She said it was decided to draw up a charter for physical activity and sport for children and youth, using the Australian model.
”We’ve gone 100 steps ahead of them … having had government interest from day one, something the Australians didn’t have.”
Sharwood said former education Minister Kader Asmal has agreed to be the charter’s patron, and was expected to speak on the need for promoting the charter at a meeting in May.
Among the topics to be discussed at the May meeting were using sport as a unifying force, the fragmentation of service providers, and the poverty question.
Sharwood said the prevailing perception, that physical education was not as important as mathematics or science in the school environment, ought to be changed.
As part of a holistic approach to the development of children, sport should be made fun and enjoyable, with an emphasis not so much on winning as on participating.
”It will be a huge challenge… We want to move to away from medals to mass participation.”
Sharwood said in countries such as America and Australia, it was found that the majority of people seeing elite athletes winning medals thought they would never be able to attain such sporting feats.
As a result they just sat back and watched television and resigned themselves to an inactive life with its associated health problems.
With the charter still in its infancy, Sharwood said there were several main points that would be carried throughout the document, regardless of amendments.
Among these were that children had a fundamental right to be active; recognising the need to share facilities among the haves and have-nots; and children should not be pressured into sport against their will.
Sharwood said she hoped that consensus among all stakeholders — including government departments, the private sector and non-governmental organisations — would be reached ”fairly soon” and that the underlying principles would be incorporated into their mission statements.
Meanwhile, Professor Tim Noakes, a sports scientist, said he supported the initiative.
Noakes said he started the initiative in South Africa after more and more schools approached him with two complaints — on the one hand the ”over competitiveness” and increasing professionalism, and on the other, the fact that fewer children were participating. — Sapa