Chapter 1.5: Putting Sport and Physical Activity Back into Education

5.1 The Australian Government and state and territory governments should make sport in schools an ongoing priority and should agree that physical education be a stand-alone key learning area in the national curriculum.

Government Response

Supported in Principle.

The Australian Government will deliver a National Sport and Education Strategy that firmly embeds quality sport and physical education in our schools and will:

Prioritise sport and physical education in our National School Curriculum in partnership with state and territory governments. Education Ministers have agreed that the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) prioritise physical education in the development of phase three of the National Curriculum, and that the number of hours committed to physical activity in the school curriculum be maximised.

5.2 Relevant Australian Government agencies, including the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, should ensure that the national curriculum for sport and physical education be considered as soon as possible and no later than the second phase of the national curriculum, to be developed in 2011 and implemented in 2012.

Government Response

Supported in Park.

Prioritise sport and physical education in our National School Curriculum in partnership with state and territory governments who have agreed that the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) prioritise physical education in the development of phase three of the National Curriculum, and that the number of hours committed to physical activity in the school curriculum be maximised.

5.3 The Australian Government should consider the repair, upgrade and development of sport and recreation
facilities in schools as an integral part of its ‘education revolution’ initiative on the basis that public access to
school sporting facilities is maximised.

Government Response

Supported.

The Australian Government has already embarked on a significant infrastructure upgrade including sport and recreation as part of its Building the Education Revolution (BER) initiative. Under this initiative the Australian Government is providing $16.2 billion for world-class educational facilities, through new infrastructure and refurbishments, to Australian schools. BER is a key element of the Australian Government’s $42 billion Nation Building–Economic Stimulus Plan, which is providing economic stimulus and employment through local infrastructure projects. Funding from both the $14.1 billion Primary Schools for the 21st Century and $1.28 billion National School Pride elements of the program is supporting the construction and refurbishment of multi-purpose halls, sporting grounds and facilities to increase participation in physical and recreational activities.

5.4 The Australian Government and state and territory governments should take action to allow greater access to school (primary and secondary) sporting facilities outside of school hours.

Government Response

Supported..

The Australian Government supports this recommendation which will be addressed as part of a National Sport and
Education Strategy mentioned in the response to Recommendation 5.1.

Further, we are committed to working with schools to ensure communities have access to the multi-purpose halls and
covered learning areas funded under the Australian Government’s Building the Education Revolution.

5.5 Greater community access should be provided to tertiary education and other institutional sporting facilities.

Government Response

Supported.
The Australian Government supports this recommendation which will be addressed as part of a National Sport and
Education Strategy mentioned in the response to Recommendation 5.1.

5.6 The Active After-school Communities program should be reviewed and, if continued beyond its currently funded term, should be contracted out to other service providers at appropriate service standards.

Government Response

Supported in Part
The Australian Government supports the closer alignment of the Active After-school Communities (AASC) program with community sport, national sporting organisations and other education-based programs. The Australian Government considers that the Australian Sports Commission is best placed at this stage to ensure an effective and consistent national delivery of the AASC program.