The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD) is excited to launch its 'Keep the Physical in Education' campaign as part of the 2005 International Year of Sport and Physical Education. The ultimate goal of CAHPERD's campaign is to improve the quality and increase the quantity of physical education being provided in Canadian schools. "Physical education is a primary solution to helping our children deal with the physical inactivity epidemic that exists across our country," says Garth Turtle, president of CAHPERD. "Quality physical education provides children with the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and habits that they need in order to be physically active." Over the last decade or more, there has been a significant decline in the quality and quantity of school physical education being offered to our children. With a back-to-basics mentality predominant in our school system, physical education has fallen victim to cutbacks in time, resources, and qualified teachers. Most schools in Canada are not providing the recommended national standard of 150 minutes per week of physical education, or even the minimum requirements as set out by their own provincial curricula. "We have seen the effects of declining quality physical education programs on our children. They are more obese and inactive than ever before, they lack basic physical activity skills, and for the first time ever, our children's life expectancy is less than that of their parents," says Turtle. "CAHPERD hopes that its 'Keep the Physical in Education' campaign will raise more awareness of the importance of physical education to the healthy development of children, will expose inadequacies that are currently plaguing our system, and will provide the motivation and support that our schools need to make quality physical education available to all children." Throughout 2005, CAHPERD will be planning a variety of events and activities around its 'Keep the Physical in Education' campaign and the 2005 International Year of Sport and Physical Education. This includes: A 'Year of Sport and Physical Education' themed calendar that provides schools with monthly activity ideas, school-wide celebrations, and resources to help them celebrate and implement quality physical education programs; Three national 'Keep the Physical in Education' theme weeks - one in Winter 2005, one in Spring 2005 and one in Fall 2005 that will provide schools across Canada to participate together in nation-wide activities, challenges, and celebrations; The development of new physical education resources and tools; Awareness tools, PSAs, lobby documents; A Quality Daily Physical Education School Report Card that will help parents and schools to evaluate the quality of physical education that children are receiving; www.yearofsportandpe.ca website that includes information on national and provincial initiatives, resources and tools, free downloads, event information and registration and much more. In November 2003, the United Nations passed a resolution to declare 2005 as the Year of Sport and Physical Education. CAHPERD has taken the lead in Canada to raise awareness of this important event and to ensure that Canada is on the international map as a key participant. The Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD) is a national, voluntary organization that advocates for the healthy development of children and youth through quality, school-based health and physical education programs.
