Press Releases
An Inclusive Approach to Physical Education and Sports Development
Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence, unveiled the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) Physical Education (PE) and Sports Development Framework today, at the joint opening ceremony of the inaugural Singapore 2010 Youth Sports Conference and the 3rd International Conference of Physical Education and Sports Science (ICPESS) 2010.
The Framework highlights MOE’s inclusive approach to PE and sports development — to develop opportunities for all students to develop their potential to the fullest; to engender a vibrant sports culture and develop talent for the nation. The three-prongs of the framework are as follows:
“Mass Participation Programmes” aim to inculcate in students the knowledge, skills and attitudes for games and sports to enable them to lead a healthy lifestyle even after they leave school. These include the PE programme, individual school programmes and the Sports Education Programme (SEP) co-funded by MOE and the Singapore Sports Council (SSC), which are conducted at the school level.
“Specialised Sports Programmes” aim to develop advocates, leaders and organisers of sports. Students who have benefited from these programmes would have sufficient exposure to develop an interest in becoming teachers-in-charge of Sports CCAs, PE teachers, coaches, sports administrators, lecturers, sports scientists and sports patrons. The programmes include sports co-curricular activities (CCA), intra- and inter-school competitions at the school level as well as zonal programmes organised by Centres of Excellence (COEs) for the respective sports.
“Talent Development Programmes” strive to develop young sports talents and create a pipeline of athletes to represent the nation. Students in these programmes have the potential to be national and/ or professional athletes, coaches, PE teachers, sports administrators, lecturers or sports scientists in the future. Currently, talented student athletes are selected for training in Junior Sports Academies, Youth Sports Academies and the Singapore Schools Sports Teams squads, which are run with coaching input from the National Sports Associations.
Underpinning PE and Sports development in schools are these beliefs:
PE and sports contribute towards developing psychomotor skills, health and fitness, as well as a lifelong orientation towards managing one’s health and well-being.
Participation in PE and sports confers on students a range of benefits which contribute to their holistic development.
All students should have opportunities to be engaged in PE and sports to gain positive experiences and grow from them.
Aptitudes or gifts in sports need to be nurtured through a systematic process for them to be transformed into talents.
To better support schools in infusing the Desired Outcomes of Education and 21st Century skills through PE and Sports, MOE is setting up the Physical Education and Sports Teacher Academy (PESTA) to build a strong cadre of PE and sports teachers. MOE will also provide support and training avenues for sports coaches, and will continue to upgrade sports facilities in schools.