PHILIPPINE NORMAL UNIVERSITY

National Center for Teacher Education

Institute of Physical Education Health Recreation Dance and Sports
Manila

2S – PHED23: Curriculum and Assessment in Physical Education and Health Education for K-12

Module 1- Activity 1

Name: Stephen Paul T. Atok Section: III-29 Date: December 2, 2021

Directions: Read and analyze the article below titled Department of sports and write a reflective
essay based on three identified salient points extracted in the article. Use the activity sheet for
your output and submit using the submission tab in ePNU.

Department of sports and sad state of PE

SPORTS FOR ALL - Philip Ella Juico -
January 4, 2012 | 12:00am

In keeping with tradition, at the start of a new year, commentators and opinion makers roll out
their wish lists for 2012. The sports community is no exception. Various prescriptions are
offered on how to make Philippine sports more competitive in terms of our athletes winning
more gold medals in Olympic competitive sports. A lot, if not most, of the prescriptions are
tactical. Very little however is said about strategic interventions that strike at the core of the
problem: the low status of Physical Education (PE) in the Philippines, which is reflective of the
situation in Asia, if not most of the world.

Three years ago, we had the privilege of contributing a paper entitled “Physical Education and
School Sports in the Philippines: A Historical Point of View”, for a United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) publication entitled “Innovative Practices in
Physical Education and Sports in Asia”. The paper, which eventually became Chapter Three in
the UNESCO publication, discussed the role of physical education in building peace among the
youth. The other chapters in the publication provided an overview of physical education and
sports within Asian school settings through five case studies from Malaysia, the People’s
Republic of China, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Singapore and the Philippines.

The basic conclusion is: countries, the Philippines included, do not value physical education and
sports especially as a means to galvanize society towards a common goal just as Nelson
Mandela did in South Africa.
Excerpt from the Academic Honor Policy:

I understand that academic honor excludes (i) cheating or the improper access or use of
information/material not tolerated by the teacher or professor for use in the academic
exercise and (ii) intentionally helping another in an act of academic dishonesty.
 PHILIPPINE NORMAL UNIVERSITY
National Center for Teacher Education
Institute of Physical Education Health Recreation Dance and Sports
Manila

The main impetus for UNESCO’s support for the publication is “the economic growth witnessed
in many countries in Asia has led to significant changes in cultural and social practices. As
people become more affluent, their lifestyles and habits reflect their shifting priorities and
spending power. In general, people in urban Asia have grown more sedentary in tandem with
greater technological advances that offer an escape from physical work and exercise. This trend
has raised the concerns of educators who have noted a declining interest in physical education
and sports in schools. Educational institutions play an important role in improving the health
and well-being of their students especially through their physical education, sports and
recreation (programs). Unfortunately, increasing demands from other curricular areas have
resulted in a reduction in time allocation, budget and status for physical education and sports in
schools.”

K. Hardman in 2005 wrote in “Global Vision of the Situation. Trends and Issues of Sport and
Physical Education” that there was a decline or marginalization (of the subject of physical
education in schools): “Deficiencies were apparent in curriculum, time allocation, subject
status, materials, human and financial resources, gender and disability issues and quality and
program delivery.” Leonard A. de Vries believes that 60% of the PE and sports programs in
Asian schools suffer from low resources and deprived conditions because of, among others,
important decisions on PE and sports are often made by government officials with no academic
or professional qualifications in the discipline; and PE and sports are commonly considered as
“play” rather than subjects that develop the “thinking” capacity.

Just how unimportant PE is viewed by academics with PhD’s or doctorates who manage schools
which are supposed to be at the forefront of character and competence building can be seen in
the following true to life anecdote. A former national athlete who teaches a business subject in
the business department of the school found himself missing his classes to take care of an
important international competition in Bicol. While, the teacher was admittedly at fault for not
providing advance notice to the administration and to the students of the absences to be
incurred, others in his department said that the international activity he was handling blended
well with and complemented the practitioner-oriented thrust of both the department and the
school.

The school’s top administrator did not see it that way. The administrator, probably in a moment
of frustration (which however unmasked the administrator’s real feelings towards sports and
physical education), said, “Why don’t you just teach PE?” The implication being, it’s alright for a
teacher to be absent from PE classes without prior notice but not other subjects!

Excerpt from the Academic Honor Policy:

I understand that academic honor excludes (i) cheating or the improper access or use of
information/material not tolerated by the teacher or professor for use in the academic
exercise and (ii) intentionally helping another in an act of academic dishonesty.
 PHILIPPINE NORMAL UNIVERSITY
National Center for Teacher Education
Institute of Physical Education Health Recreation Dance and Sports
Manila

Creating therefore a Department of Sports (which should be studied very carefully) should not
be regarded as the way to generate a ton of gold medals in international competitive sports
(although that is a good morale booster and is certainly good international public relations) but
rather for sports to be used in conjunction with the country’s overall economic development.
This will entail a lot of integration and coordination with other departments such as Education,
Interior and Local Government and National Defense. Activating the National Physical Fitness
and Sports Development Councils down to the barangay level should be a first priority parallel
to building a cadre of competent coaches and trainers with sports medicine and sports science
background.

Source: https://www.philstar.com/sports/2012/01/04/764380/department-sports-and-sad-
state-pe , Retrieved on Oct.8,2021.

Salient Points

1. Prescriptions are tactical but not strategic interventions that strike the core problems in PE
and sports

Excerpt from the Academic Honor Policy:

I understand that academic honor excludes (i) cheating or the improper access or use of
information/material not tolerated by the teacher or professor for use in the academic
exercise and (ii) intentionally helping another in an act of academic dishonesty.
 PHILIPPINE NORMAL UNIVERSITY
National Center for Teacher Education
Institute of Physical Education Health Recreation Dance and Sports
Manila

2. Economic growth influence the decline of people’s interest in PE and sports because of their
choice to pursue greater technology.

3. People whose decisions greatly impact the state of PE and Sports know little about PE and
Sports which makes its current state worse.

Reflection

It is true that PE and Sports play a huge role to a person’s development not just physically but
in all aspect of a person’s life. This is something that a lot of people do not see.

As I was reading the article, I have recognized 3 salient points that I was able to personally
relate to and experience as a PE major and an athlete.

1st is Prescriptions are tactical but not strategic interventions that strike the core problems in
PE and sports, I have experienced this as an athlete representing my school when I was in
senior high school. Going through training camp, the coach that handled barely knew anything
about the sport that we were going to play. Relating this to the first point, this is what happens
with us adding band-aid solutions to deeply rooted problems within the PE and Sport. We
don’t fully look into what is really needed to be able to deal with the real problems such as
placing a teacher just to simply handle a sport, where in it is important for the school to invest
in someone who has knowledge about the sport that will train the athletes the right way. It is
not just within schools but also in the higher level of sports association within our country.

2nd Economic growth influence the decline of people’s interest in PE and sports because of
their choice to pursue greater technology. Because of this, there are more and more children
who are becoming less interested with PE and sports, this is one main cause of the rise of
obesity and uninterested kids with PE. This not only causes health problems but it removes the
motivation for those who are in power to put more effort and attention to pursue the right
allocation of budget, resources etc. to PE and Sports as they see that the greater number of
people are less interested in PE and Sports and chooses to prioritize other subjects.

3rd People whose decisions greatly impact the state of PE and Sports know little about PE and
Excerpt from the Academic Honor Policy:

I understand that academic honor excludes (i) cheating or the improper access or use of
information/material not tolerated by the teacher or professor for use in the academic
exercise and (ii) intentionally helping another in an act of academic dishonesty.
 PHILIPPINE NORMAL UNIVERSITY
National Center for Teacher Education
Institute of Physical Education Health Recreation Dance and Sports
Manila

Sports which makes its current state worse. This is probably the worst of all. This is the reality
that we as PE and Sports teacher and coaches are to face. Those who are placed in the power
of making PE and Sports great are those who have little knowledge about the impact that our
subject has on people. We see this in schools, government and sadly in our Sports department.
Because of these people, pursuing greater level of PE and Sports in the Philippines becomes
harder.

As a conclusion, I still believe that change comes from those who believe. It doesn’t matter
how small or how little the number. As long as someone believes and stands true to the
passion that we have, change will come. I see better the importance of my profession as a
teacher. I am responsible to create change within each student that I will be handling,
imparting to them the importance of PE and Sports for their optimal growth as individuals.

Criteria:

 Depth of Reflection …………….. 10

Excerpt from the Academic Honor Policy:

I understand that academic honor excludes (i) cheating or the improper access or use of
information/material not tolerated by the teacher or professor for use in the academic
exercise and (ii) intentionally helping another in an act of academic dishonesty.
 PHILIPPINE NORMAL UNIVERSITY
National Center for Teacher Education
Institute of Physical Education Health Recreation Dance and Sports
Manila

 Use of Textual Evidence ………….5

 Organization of Words…………… 5

Total ………………………………….20 pts

Estimated time of Completion: 2 hours

Due Date:
 Monday class: October 17, 2021(11:59 pm)
 Tuesday class: October 18, 2021(11:59 pm)

Excerpt from the Academic Honor Policy:

I understand that academic honor excludes (i) cheating or the improper access or use of
information/material not tolerated by the teacher or professor for use in the academic
exercise and (ii) intentionally helping another in an act of academic dishonesty.