GSWP 48 – Briefing and discussions re School sport challenges to dept. of Sport and Education on 6 Feb 2008

To whom it may concern

Some truly shocking revelations are made on the current lack of synergy, leadership and forward action in school sport.

An example of a system that has fallen prey to bureaucracy, unproductive blame-mongering, and inter-departmental power plays.

The document does not read easily and the word succinct feedback is nowhere in sight and I suggest you download the printer friendly version from the link below with some stronger sustenance than the traditional cup of tea before you start your read.

Full 19 page document:

http://www.pmg.org.za/minutes/20080206-school-sports-challenges-departments-sports-education-briefing

Summary:
The Department of Sport and Recreation and the Department of Education briefed the Committee on their work to create a viable structure for the management of sport in schools. All participants recognized the need to promote sport and physical education in schools. This would benefit the learners by developing a healthy life-style and providing an opportunity to use their spare time productively. Physical education would be re-introduced to schools, with a minimum period of 45 minutes per week for each learner.

There were structural problems. The NACOC confederation was seen to be unrepresentative of the sporting codes, and to be dominated by bureaucrats. Its predecessor, the United School Sports Association of South Africa had been seen to cater only for competitive sport. There was a need for any new structure to have a mass participation element as well. It was felt that while the Department of Sport and Recreation had to have some involvement, school sport should be run by educators with minimal involvement from civil servants. The Committee was informed of the fact that teachers were expected to perform 320 hours per year of extra mural activities, although this was not solely for sport. The departments were attempting to create a new structure that would be more representative.

One option was to create a Section 21 company. The Committee opposed this vigorously as it was seen as a move towards outsourcing and privatisation.

Various resolutions at the recent ANC conference emphasised that sport was viewed seriously, both as a means of healthy recreation and also as a means of nation building. One emblem was to be used for all sports teams in future. Sport and other extra mural activities must be offered by schools, and physical education must be added to the curriculum. Sports programmes must be prioritised, with an emphasis on women and the disabled. All funds for sports facilities previously included in the Municipal Infrastructure Grant would in future be diverted to the Department of Sport and Recreation for the building of facilities.

The Departments were still reviewing the White Paper on sport. The envisaged new structure was still the subject of negotiation, and a policy document would be prepared for the Committee’s scrutiny. Further meetings and workshops would be held. All parties present, including the representatives of certain national sporting codes, were in agreement about the importance of the issue.

Members compared the situation in state-aided schools to the much more positive attitude towards sport in the former Model C schools. Resources were a problem in the poorer schools, some of which had no sports grounds available to them nor sufficient equipment to practice the various codes.

And I thought water polo had issues...boy oh boy.

Yours in polo

Marius Buys
Chairman
19 June 2008