Why Education Needs Sport
For many people, sport and education stand in stark opposition to each other. One is trivial, the other serious. One is about play, the other about work. This divide, which has its roots in Europe’s historical and philosophical past, can be seen clearly in education, where sport (and its educational representative, Physical Education) are frequently given low status, limited curriculum time and inadequate resources (link is external). For many parents, sport and other organised forms of physical activity ought to take a more and more marginal position within education as their children get older in order to let them focus on the ‘real business’ of school, which is to help them go on vocational training, higher education, or to work.
Over time, these attitudes have started to change, although change has sometimes been painfully slow. The emergence of the so-called ‘physical inactivity pandemic (link is external)’ has clearly played a role in sport’s changing fortunes. As activity levels continue to drop, rates of non-communicable diseases go up. Sport, as the most popular, palatable form of physical activity for many people, has moved towards the centre of public health policy and practice, as cheap medicine. At the same time, there has been an acknowledgement of the significant financial contribution that sport, in its different forms, makes. Sport is a large and rapidly growing sector within the European economy, accounting for about 3% of Europe’s total GDP and about 3.5% of employment (link is external) in the EU. Adult education has responded to this situation with the development of more and increasingly specialised pathways, from teachers and coaches, to the sporting goods industry, to sports media and broadcasting.
There is another aspect of the relationship between sport and education, too, and developments in scientific research have only recently highlighted it fully. Evidence from educational research, psychology, the neurosciences and other disciplines is starting to show that the traditional opposition between education and sport is simply mistaken, and that - far from interfering with the business of education - sport can actually make a valuable contribution to it.
To explain this bold claim, I offer nine findings from research into the effects of sport and physical activity that show that activity - in addition to its well-known virtues of keeping bodies fit and healthy, adds enormous value to education.
- Sport and physical activity 'nourish' the brain, helping it work grow and operate effectively. It has been shown that physical activity leads to profound and long-lasting changes in brain wiring (link is external), and these developments directly enhance intellectual work.
- Sport and physical activity can improve learning and memory (link is external). Learners with a good memory and the ability to learn quickly have a considerable advantage which will influence almost every aspect of their experiences of adult education and beyond.
- Even short bouts of a few minutes of sport and physical activity can lead to improved concentration and attention (link is external), which directly effects how people learn and retain information.
- Numeracy and literacy performance (link is external) especially improve as a result of increasing levels of physical activity among younger students.
- Regular exercise can alleviate depression and anxiety (link is external), which can be particular cause for concern during adult education (link is external).
- Institution-based sports and other physical activities are particularly valuable at creating a sense of belonging and commitment (link is external), and can help potentially marginalised students feel included and accepted (link is external).
- Physically active people perform better academically (link is external) then their inactive peers, and those who are most active benefit the most.
- Physically active students tend to have more qualifications, engage in further study, have an improved chances of securing a good job, and even tend to get promoted more quickly (link is external).
- Physically active individuals are seen by employers as healthier, more efficient, and more reliable. So active people are more employable (link is external).
Not all sporting experiences are positive, of course, and bad sports teaching and coaching can sometimes be worse than nothing at all. So it is worthwhile students investing some time in finding the best type of sport or activity for them and the demands of their lives. But appropriately presented activities that take place in a positive and supportive environment can be an inspiration.
So perhaps it is time for educational institutions and their students to think again about their presumptions about the role of sport and physical activity? Far from being fun trivialities, or distractions from the main business of education, the evidence suggests that sport and physical activity can make valuable, distinctive contributions.
Richard Bailey, ICSSPE Office, Berlin
(This article originally appeared on EPALE- Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe)
- About ICSSPE
- Scientific Resources
- Scientific Resources
- Free Resources
- MINEPS VI (English)
- Programme Committee General Documents
- Working Group Members
- Meeting Reports and Presentations
- Manual for the Working groups
- MINEPS Sport Policy Follow-up Framework
- Developing a comprehensive vision of inclusive access for all
- Align with the overall development priorities and the SDG framework
- Establish multi-stakeholder partnerships
- Foster quality physical education and active schools
- Foster the inclusion of youth in decision - making processes
- Enforce gender equality/Empower girls and women
- Foster empowerment and inclusive participation
- Maximising the contributions of sport to sustainable development and peace
- Improve health and well-being for all, at all ages (SDG 3)
- Provide quality education and promote lifelong learning for all (SDG 4)
- Advance gender equality and empower all women and girls (SDG 5)
- Promote economic growth and full and productive employment and work for all (SDG 8)
- Build peaceful, inclusive and equitable societies (SDG 10 & 16)
- Make cities and settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable (SDG 11)
- Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns and take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (SDG 12 a
- Build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels (SDG 16)
- Protecting the integrity of sport
- Poster Exhibition
- Glossary
- MINEPS VI (Français)
- Membres des groupes de travail
- Rapports des réunions et présentations
- Manuel groupes de travail
- MINEPS cadre de suivi stratégique
- Domaine stratégique principal I
- Assurer la cohérence avec les priorités de développement durable
- Établir des partenariats multipartites
- Favoriser l’éducation physique de qualité et l’activité physique à l’école
- Appliquer l’égalité des sexes/autonomiser les filles et les femmes
- Encourager la participation des jeunes aux processus de prise de décision
- Favoriser l’autonomisation et la participation globale
- Domaine stratégique principal II
- Améliorer la santé et le bien-être de tous, à tous les âges
- Rendre les villes et les établissements humains inclusifs, sûrs, résilients et durables
- Offrir une éducation de qualité et promouvoir l’apprentissage continu pour tous
- Assurer la croissance économique et le plein-emploi productif pour tous
- Bâtir des sociétés pacifiques, inclusives et équitables
- Promouvoir l’égalité des sexes et autonomiser les femmes et les filles
- Assurer des modes de consommation et de production viables et prendre des mesures urgentes pour lutter contre le changement clim
- Bâtir des institutions efficaces, responsables et inclusives à tous les niveaux
- Domaine stratégique principal III
- Protéger les athlètes, les spectateurs, les travailleurs et autres groupes impliqués
- Protéger les enfants, les jeunes et d’autres groupes vulnérables
- Promouvoir la bonne gouvernance des organisations sportives
- Renforcer les mesures contre la manipulation des compétitions sportives
- Fournir un cadre de politique antidopage approprié, assurer sa mise en oeuvre et proposer des mesures d’application efficaces
- Exposition d'affiches
- Glossaire
- Declarations about Sport
- High Performance Sport
- Physical Education
- Toolkit: Influencing the Development of Quality PE Policy
- Policy Brief: Inclusive Quality Physical Education Policy Development
- Sport Values in Every Classroom (FR)
- Sport Values in Every Classroom (EN)
- International Position Statement on Physical Education
- International Benchmarks on Physical Education
- Berlin World Summit
- Magglingen World Summit
- Schulsport weltweit: Fakten – Analysen – Trends
- Worldwide Physical Education in Schools Update
- Sport and Development
- Physical Activity
- Other Free Resources
- Bulletin Archive
- No. 71 PDF
- No. 70 PDF
- No. 69 PDF
- No. 68 PDF
- No. 67 PDF
- No. 66 PDF
- No. 65 CD-ROM
- No. 64 CD-ROM
- No. 63 CD-ROM
- No. 62 CD-ROM
- No. 61 CD-ROM
- No. 60 CD-ROM
- No. 59 CD-ROM
- No. 58 CD-ROM
- No. 57 CD-ROM
- No. 56 CD-ROM
- No. 55 CD-ROM
- No. 54 CD-ROM
- No. 53 CD-ROM
- No. 52 CD-ROM
- No. 51 CD-ROM
- No. 50 CD-ROM
- No. 49 CD-ROM
- No. 48 CD-ROM
- No. 47 CD-ROM
- No. 46 CD-ROM
- No. 45 CD-ROM
- No. 44 CD-ROM
- No. 43 CD-ROM
- No. 42 CD-ROM
- No. 41 CD-ROM
- No. 40 CD-ROM
- No. 39 CD-ROM
- No. 38 CD-ROM
- No. 37 CD-ROM
- MINEPS VI (English)
- Olympic World Library
- Upcoming Events
- Membership
- Media