MAKKAH: Physical education and exercise are lacking greatly in private and government schools for boys. There are no morning exercise routines, nor is there any importance given to scheduled exercise classes. According to education specialists and social workers, as well as students, this is due to several reasons. They said the most important is the lack of communication and coordination between education authorities and those who are supposed to implement physical education in schools, usually the teaching bodies, who have allegedly shown a lack of interest in encouraging students to practice their athleticism in their schools.
The educational scene in Saudi Arabia had seen great changes in the last three decades with regard to physical education, especially when the late King Fahd was the minister of education. During his time there was a burst of interest in physical education and recognition of its importance. Gym kits were distributed to all school children, and there were strict instructions for carrying out morning exercise routines before the start of the school day, which at the time helped keep students fresh and alert, both physically and mentally.
However, gradually year after year, interest in school sports started waning, until physical education classes and sports activities were taken very lightly or practically abandoned, despite the Ministry of Education's efforts to raise the standard and interest in exercise and sports. According to physical health experts in Saudi, a lack of proper exercise has caused considerable harm to school children's health.
However, the Ministry of Education continues its efforts to renew interest in physical education and school sports by organizing sport competitions, especially football which most schoolboys prefer. However, they are also being encouraged to compete in other sports as well for far more reaching benefits.
Most sports specialists and professional sport observers, claim any advancement in sports and athletics in any progressive nation usually starts at school with young children. Indeed, sports scouts usually head hunt for talented athletes at schools, which in turn, eventually yield excellent results on an international scale. For example, China is a leader in this regard, since they start training children at a very young age in all types of sports and athletics. So much so, it is considered one of the most advanced countries in sports, and its teams have won many world and Olympic medals.
"There are other factors that have contributed to the decline of sports in schools. One of them is a lack of highly trained and qualified physical education instructors that are necessary in order to bring up a generation of sportsmen with the correct training. Most PE teachers employed by the Ministry of Education lack motivation and enthusiasm, do not implement the correct sports curriculum and thus make their students lose complete interest in sports, and P.E. lessons become periods for relaxation and socializing," said Khalid, a physical education instructor at a government school.
In addition, students are not displaying any interest in exercise due to a lack of motivation in those classes. They do not wear gym uniform and they simply either sit it out or watch their few peers who actually do some physical activity, and they couldn't care less about losing any marks on their report cards.
Muwafaq Al-Jamae, a sociologist and researcher, said the lack of a proper environment that encourages students to attend PE classes have contributed toward the regression of this important aspect of education, in addition to the fact most government schools are leased and therefore are not designed for sports activities or don't have the large area needed. Some private schools, however, do show more initiative, give more attention to physical education and organize sport competitions and encourage students to participate.
Many students at all levels of education have expressed their concerns and urged the Ministry of Education to give priority to building more prototype schools that have already been built in some areas of the Kingdom, albeit in a limited number, which fulfill the necessary requirements for a proper learning environment including physical education. These model schools have large playgrounds and sports facilities, in addition to healthy meals on offer. They call on the ministry to refrain from leasing more pre-constructed buildings that are designed for housing and not for schools. This is in addition to adding more sports since the only one on offer is football, especially for those whose talents and interests lie in other more diverse sports such as swimming and basketball. This in turn, will increase interest in sports on a national level and produce more athletes to compete on an international level after leaving school.
One private school student from the sixth grade, Abdulrahman Al-Qurashi, said: "I very much enjoy sports at school, since it offers many types of activities that gives us a nice break from tedious lessons! I especially enjoy swimming. The school has a large swimming pool where I learned to swim with a specialized instructor hired especially by the school, and I am also learning karate."
Another junior high school student, Abdul Aziz Al-Yahya, said: "The best thing is to have physical education lessons right after break time, usually in the middle of the school day, during which we eat proper and healthy food so that we are full of energy and we can go back to our lessons refreshed and ready to study."
However, Abdul Aziz attends a government school and this ideal situation does not exist in his school, whereas one of his friends attends a school nearby that does offer healthy meals and proper areas for sports activities. He wishes his own school would follow suit as soon as possible.
Even in some private schools, there is no interest in daily exercise routines, as students take the opportunity to rest and socialize during P.E. classes. There is not enough motivation nor variation according to some private school students. They also called upon the Ministry of Education to organize sports competitions between schools, especially football matches, kingdom wide.
Al-Jamae also added that in the past sport scouts had gone to schools to discover talented athletes and recruit them, helping create the sports federations and teams in Saudi Arabia (mainly football). He said this is exactly what is needed today, so that a sport and athletic movement could be created that can compete on an international level. Sports are not only beneficial for youngsters' physiques, promotes overall good health, and makes them into possible future professional athletes, but physical education is also crucial in developing their personalities, their sense of community and team play, which is part of Islamic teachings and heritage.
© Arab News 2012
