2012 Physical Education Initiative Failed

Investment in the UK has followed promises of improved physical education by teaching children health through playing games. Though it saw more than £2bn, there has been no clear improvement in enrollment in physical education.

 

The 2012 Olympic Games were billed as the “Legacy Games.” London was prepared for the power of sport to impact education, culture, and the economy significantly. It was an exciting time with a palpable feeling of euphoria.

 

Kids between the ages of 5-11 will have a chance to learn about physical education at school.

 

Opening people’s eyes to the possibility of sport will maintain the momentum that the Games initiated, and we need to encourage young people to participate. Schools should take part too.

Despite the high funding for PE in primary schools, few qualified instructors teach outside the field. The lack of qualified educators leading the PE classes has been a problem since 2012 when funding was directed to this subject.

 

The Primary PE and School Sport Premium, though with a clear failure. This investment does not seem to influence teaching in primary schools, as teachers cannot observe it or teach it even if they want to.

 

For the London Olympics, several teachers as hired to teach sports. However, schools are now outsourcing some of that work to private providers, and the taxpayer funds haven’t been audited.

 

In our survey of primary schools, we found 61 different options for teaching physical education. Options ranged from sports coaches with accreditation to parent helpers and teaching assistants.

 

Using AI means that there will be a less urgent need for government intervention.

 

This can be explained by the lack of accountability over the money. Ofsted, a government organisation for evaluating schools, recently concluded that it is unclear why this money was so poorly monitored. It asked if this Premium was helping the students in their studies.

 

What has happened to the government money spent on London 2012? Primary schools and recent graduates were asked how their Olympics experience influenced their careers. The money did not translate into funding for secondary school mathematics programs, but PE changed how primary school students are taught.

 

Our research on primary PE has revealed that there is a deficit of investment when it comes to primary education. We have found 1,200 trainee teachers and surveyed them as well.

 

We examined the teaching of physical education in primary schools, and we found that there is a lack of understanding.

 

The link between PE and the original 2012 legacy investment

 

The 2012 Olympics sparked a new era in primary PE. The government at the time stated, “Inspired by 2012: The legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

 

Every school should have good sporting opportunities, strong cultural opportunities and high academic standards. Sports such as physical education that are looked at in great detail by many schools will continue to be mandatory for each stage of education; these changes will also emphasise competitive sport.

 

Instead of paying a half-billion, funding will now go to primary schools in England.

 

The Premium was created to assist young people in education, health, and athletics. With funding from three departments – the Department of Education (DfE), the Department of Health, and the Department of Digital Culture, Media and Sport – the goal was to impact these communities positively.

 

The Premium is supposed to make teachers more confident in teaching PE. This is one of the five major indicators and the third one based on my understanding.

 

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