Physical Education and Sport as an intervention to prevent crime and moral degredation among young adults
J. Sitzer
Western Cape Education Department, South Africa


Introduction
This lecture will be part of a larger 90 minute WORKSHOP that will include four lectures, lasting 12 minutes each. The rest of the time will be dedicated to specific questions and general discussion. This case study concentrates on two schools that are situated in a sub-economic social setting where crime and low moral standards dictate the lives of these communities. The areas have a high unemployment rate and school children are at the mercy of gangsterism and drugs.
The lecture will report upon the role of Physical Education and Sport in shaping the perceptions of learners about their social circumstances.

Methods
The objectives of the case study will be:
  • To determine how learners in high schools view the educational value of Physical Education as a school subject and the role that it plays in their education.
  • To determine what role school sport/sport play in developing the moral and value system of young adults.
  • To explore what role Physical Education and Sport play in increasing the life chances of these learners (with poor social-economic circumstances) in post- Apartheid South Africa.
The study will be an interactive one and will explore the views of all relevant role players in the education of the said learners.
Data will be collected via interviews, questionnaires and action research methods. The team will decide on the size of the research sample, strategies and method.

Results/Discussion
The results and discussion of this case study will be first presented at the Pre-Olympic Conference in August 2004. Together with the other case studies, the results will provide real life examples of quality physical education in schools and the benefits of such practice to schools. Moreover, the project as a whole has the potential to significantly raise awareness among policy-makers of the role of Physical Education and Sport in education and in children’s lives.





http://www.icsspe.org/portal/bulletin-June2004.htm