RETHINKING PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SCHOOL SPORTS IN SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS: A CALL TO ACTION TO THE NEW MINISTER OF BASIC EDUCATION

Near my home, I often see a small group of Black African children, aged between 9 and 14, gathering to play netball on a grass patch. They show up from Tuesday to Thursday, week after week, accompanied by a few adults. The “field” they play on is not level, slanting from one goalpost to another. Yet, somehow, the condition of this “facility” does not appear to dampen their enthusiasm.

Just across the road, not even 300 metres from this scraggly and uneven piece of grass, stands a high school with impressive buildings and state-of-the-art sports facilities. This school has a vision for organised school sports and, most likely, a well-developed physical education programme. This stark contrast raises an important question: Which situation is more sustainable and capable of providing children with greater academic and athletic opportunities? For any reasonable person, the answer should be obvious.

These contrasting scenarios illustrate how a child’s potential to achieve can be influenced by the opportunities presented. Take Bayanda Walaza, for instance, who won a silver medal in the 4 x 100 m relay race at the 2024 Paris Olympics. His success story exemplifies what's possible with the right support and environment.

Let me digress slightly by acknowledging the Minister of Basic Education for attending the welcoming ceremony at Bayanda’s school in Pretoria. It was a fitting gesture to recognise and celebrate his achievements. Bayanda has enormous talent, and his schooling environment is conducive to continued excellence, as evidenced by his two gold medals at the recent World Athletics U/20 Championships held in Lima, Peru.

However, I question whether the Minister of Basic Education fully understands what it takes to nurture talent like Bayanda’s. I can’t help but wonder whether she knows what it takes for the likes of Bayanda Walaza, Bradley Nkoana, or Benjamin Richardson to perform so exceptionally well. While we celebrate these visible achievements, it's crucial to consider the underlying factors contributing to such success. Indeed, the scope of this discussion could be expanded to encompass the work done by and for athletes and players across all sports.

One thing these athletes have in common is their participation in excellent school sports programmes at top-quality facilities. That they are talented is without question, but I wonder whether they would have been as successful as they are without the systems and programmes that have contributed to their holistic athletic development. Without delving into the nitty-gritty of long-term athlete development, this is what it takes to become an elite athlete or player. One only needs to look at 27-year-old Tatyana Smith (née Schoenmaker) who has been swimming for nearly 20 years to get to where she is.

For this reason, I ask whether the Minister of Basic Education is aware of the role schools can play in the long-term athlete development process. While I do not know the Minister’s background or interest in sports and physical education, I believe some of the mistakes South Africa continues to make regarding physical education and school sports warrant closer examination.

Mistake #1: Physical Education-less Schools

If we’re honest with each other, we’ll agree that the majority of South African schools no longer offer physical education. Stroebel, Hay and Bloemhoff (2016:215) note that physical education (PE) has been “on the receiving end of curriculum reform with far-reaching consequences”. Before 1994, PE was a stand-alone school subject, but from 1998 was relegated to merely one learning outcome within Life Orientation. This move, while aiming for a more holistic approach to education, has arguably diluted the focus on physical activity and skills development that a dedicated PE curriculum provides. By bundling PE with diverse topics like health education, life skills, and career guidance, the reform risked diminishing the emphasis on and effectiveness of physical education in schools. As a consequence, South Africa does not perform well in sports competitions and has failed to develop sports talent in the majority of its children.

For a sports-loving country, this does not make any sense. It is tantamount to ‘wishful thinking’ that our sports will become exciting and professional when we are not investing in talent development and nurturing through a schooling system that— according to SA Government Communication —served 14.5 million individuals aged 5–24 years in 2022. This statistic makes the Bayanda Walazas of this world but a trickle in the elite sports pool we desire, compared to the flood that well-thought-out PE and school sports programmes could produce.

To make sense of the power of the schooling system in transforming sporting performance, let us consider how the United States of America regards PE and uses it to produce a sports programme without peers, as evidenced by their success in the 2024 Paris Olympics. In the US, PE is viewed as the foundation of a comprehensive school physical activity programme, an academic subject characterised by a sequential K-12 curriculum that aims to:

• Provide cognitive content and instruction designed to develop motor skills, knowledge, and behaviours for physical activity and fitness.

• Support schools in establishing daily PE.

• Equip learners with the ability and confidence to be physically active for life.

• Increase physical activity levels and reduce sedentary behaviour.

• Improve grades and standardised test scores.

• Enhance classroom focus without negatively affecting academic achievement.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this approach has shown significant benefits for both athletic performance and student well-being. And not only the US—if we were to do an in-depth study of other countries that are successful in the Olympics, we would soon reach the realisation that the foundation of their success lies in physical education and extends into viable school sports programmes.

Mistake #2: School Sport-less Schools

School sport is defined as sporting competition provided in conjunction with physical education to give all school learners opportunities to continue their physical, social, and personal skills education or development through competition at an intra-school, inter-school, local, regional, national, and international level. School sport is not merely a project; it is a comprehensive programme. Regrettably, we made a critical error in dismantling the United School Sports Association of South Africa (USSASA), which was at the forefront of school sports in South Africa. It was akin to cutting off our noses to spite our faces.

Ensuring mass participation in PE is hugely beneficial to school sports. Unfortunately, our approach to school sport uses a knock-out format reducing the number of participants at each step of the competition. Subsequently, fewer learners continue to participate as the season progresses. Those who do not advance perceive that as the end of their sporting involvement for the year. Instead, they become spectators, with some even roaming the streets after school, exposing themselves to the dangers of societal ills.

Mistake #3: Lack of Staff Involvement

Of course, a viable physical education and school sports programme is not without its risks. One significant hurdle for the Minister of Basic Education would be motivating educators to play an active role in both PE and school sports. Since 1994, it appears as if the majority of educators have been notably absent from the school sports arena, with only a few dedicated individuals remaining involved. However, staff play a crucial role in PE, physical activity, and school sports programmes. By being physically active alongside students, educators not only ensure that learners stay active but also serve as positive role models. Leading by example can be one of the most effective ways to inspire learners to engage in physical activities and school sports, provided educators commit to daily PE and sports initiatives.

Mistake #4: MOU between Basic Education and Sport, Arts & Culture Departments

Unfortunately, the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture viewed the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Basic Education as “a milestone in the Government of National Unity’s (GNU’s) vision to deliver equality of access for all young people, particularly those in rural, township and underprivileged areas” (press statement released by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture). I am not sure who came up with the idea of the Department of Basic Education entering into an MOU with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (and its predecessors). Perhaps, there are dynamics that we, as citizens, are unaware of. However, I am perplexed by the notion of a government entering into an MOU with itself.

My point is simply this: both ministers ought to answer the question: “How many schools have PE, school sports, dedicated physical educators, coaches, and basic sports facilities?” According to Statista, of the 24,900 schools in the country, 90.8% are public schools. So my question again is: How many of these schools have proper PE and school sports programmes? If Breadline can report that “government data reveals that in 2022, 5 167 SA schools lacked proper ablution facilities and were utilising pit toilets and that the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Census of 2021 shows that 17 000 (40%) of SA ECDs do not have flushing toilets – and 19,000 do not have access to running water,” it is unrealistic to expect that the majority of schools will have PE, school sport, physical educators, coaches, and basic sports facilities.

The big question is: Why then do we ignore this reality, and the fact that South Africa does not have a long-term vision for sport in all its various dimensions?

The occasion of signing the MOU between the Departments of Basic Education and Sport, Arts and Culture paints a picture of a well-resourced and active South African school environment. This is a very dangerous assumption. It ignores that inequality continues to persist and is getting worse, especially in the areas mentioned by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture—those rural, township, and underprivileged areas.

I struggle to understand the rationale behind pursuing an MOU between Basic Education and Sports, Arts and Culture. Imagine cabinet meetings where ministers gather around a large conference table, with the President at the head. Each minister presents their needs, programmes, projects, and activities for the financial year, along with regular reports. The cabinet as a whole listens, providing feedback, input, and suggestions. In such a setting, one would expect critical questions to be raised. For me, those questions would be:

• Why doesn’t the Department of Basic Education advocate for its budget to develop a PE curriculum, appoint PE educators, and coaches, and establish basic sports facilities?

• Why do we persist in allowing the majority of schools, particularly historically black schools in townships and rural areas, to have minimal or no physical education and school sports programmes?

• Why not learn from suburban schools that successfully implement PE and school sports programmes?

In no way am I dismissing the legacy of apartheid that has benefited some large schools with excellent sports programmes. These schools boast wonderful sports facilities and passionate educators dedicated to sports, from whom other schools could benchmark. We should be grateful for schools like Bayanda’s, which serve as the lifeline of South African sports. Without them, high-performance sports in this country would be nearly non-existent, unless a talented child or youth from an impoverished community beats the odds and receives good coaching.

The Rationale for PE and School Sport

Both ministers appear to overlook that a child is a human being who learns primarily through movement, especially at a young age. These children then enter school where they are instructed to sit down and be quiet for hours on end, and to not move without permission from educators. This approach does little to encourage physical activity, particularly in schools lacking PE, sports programmes, and basic facilities. Lest we forget, human beings are mind-body-spirit entities, with each dimension requiring nourishment in various forms, such as meditation, a healthy diet, exercise, and so on. As the Latin phrase “Mens sana in corpore sano” reminds us, a healthy mind resides in a healthy body, meaning that physical exercise not only strengthens the body but also enhances brain function.

My advice to the Minister of Basic Education is straightforward: the department’s budget must allocate funding specifically for physical education and sports, along with the necessary resources to keep every learner actively engaged in physical activity and to cultivate talents like Bayanda Walaza. These programmes cannot and should not be outsourced to the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture for funding. Although there is a natural connection between school and community sports (because the same individuals often participate in both at different times), the school environment is more structured and secure for learners. We need to fully commit to establishing effective systems, processes, and infrastructure for physical education and school sports now rather than later.

Universities, too, must re-introduce comprehensive physical education programmes. And let’s not get bogged down by debates over terminology—whether we call it physical education, human movement science, or kinesiology is irrelevant. What matters is action, not words. The absence of proper physical education training at universities should not prompt unnecessary MOUs with the Department of Higher Education and Training. Instead, we should benchmark ourselves against the most successful sporting nations, accessing the wealth of knowledge readily available online, without the need for further benchmarking trips abroad, which often lead to no implementation of what was learned.

Finally, I would encourage the minister to seek out experts in physical education and school sports—many are passionate patriots who would eagerly lend their expertise to the cause. They will not hesitate to put their shoulders to the plough and contribute to building a thriving physical education system.

Final thoughts

Let us expand our thinking by joining together to find a solution for all our children. There are thousands and thousands of Bayanda Walazas out there, waiting to be discovered, developed, nurtured, and celebrated. The only way to do this is to move beyond signing agreements and instead focus on implementing physical education and school sports programmes. We need to think outside the box; we’ve been confined within the MOU framework for far too long without turning our words into meaningful action.

In conclusion, there is no need for an MOU between the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. Both departments should simply focus on fulfilling their naturally complementary mandates.

It is time to start where we are, use what we have and do what we can. Let us discover the power within us and embark on a journey towards success (paraphrasing Arther Ashe).

·         Leoni C.I. Stroebel, Johnnie Hay and Hermanus J. Bloemhoff. 2016). Physical Education in South Africa: Have we come full circle: South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation, 38 (3), pp.215-228.

·         South African Government Communication. 2024. Education. Source: Official Guide of South Africa. Retrieved from https://www.gov.za/about-sa/education  

·         Centers for Disease Control (CDC). 2022. Physical Education. CDC Healthy Schools. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/physicalactivity/physical-education.htm#print 

·         Centers for Disease Control. 2022. Staff Involvement. CDC Healthy Schools. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/physicalactivity/staff-involvement.htm 

·         Statista. 2024. Number of schools in South Africa in 2022, by sector. Retrieved from (https://www.statista.com/statistics/1262871/number-of-schools-in-south-africa-by-sector/ 

·         BreadlineAfrica. Solving South Africa’s School Toilet Crisis. Retrieved from (https://breadlineafrica.org/solving-south-africas-school-toilet-crisis/