A meeting of the Caricom council on human development this month agreed to engage stakeholders on Physical Education (PE) and sport in schools and to use physical activity to include persons with disabilities, prolong the good health of elderly persons and boost the economy.
In a Communiqué, Cari-com said the Special Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) convened here for sport ministers, directors and regional sporting organisations and other stakeholders noted the link between PE and health and agreed that it could help combat childhood obesity, and reduce the rate of chronic non-communicable diseases. The meeting agreed to commission a study on the status of Physical Education and Sport in schools in the region.
The COHSOD also mandated the Caricom Secretariat to take immediate steps to finalize and disseminate the Caricom Curriculum Framework for Physical Education in all member states and further requested the Secretariat to develop very quickly, the Adapted Curriculum for Persons with Disabilities to inform the development of National PE Curricula by member states.
The meeting also advised member states to develop or update their national curricula and ensure that they are in sync with the Caricom Curriculum Framework. COHSOD also stressed the need for the teaching of quality PE and sport at all levels to be aligned with the Caricom Curriculum Framework, and highlighted the need for more programmes and training facilities to nurture talented sportspersons. COHSOD further requested that the Secretariat work with member states to develop a regional strategic framework for adaptive sport and physical activity and to adapt the Regional Curriculum Framework for Physical Education up to Grade 12.
The meeting also advocated that member states put the necessary systems in place to ensure that all PE teachers and coaches received adequate and relevant training as well as appropriate remuneration and that they are given opportunities to specialize in various areas of PE and Sport. In addition, the COHSOD proposed that the philosophy, values and purpose of PE and Sport should be reflected and incorporated in the overall curriculum of teacher training colleges.
With regard to strengthening PE and Sport in schools the meeting agreed that greater dialogue between stakeholders in government, sport clubs, NGOS and the private sector should be encouraged to facilitate the development of clubs as effective, community-oriented functioning organisations. In this regard it called on member states to engage and collaborate with key stakeholders to promote continued improvement of sports in schools and communities.
Child Protection and Safeguarding
The meeting also discussed the new concept of “safeguarding” noting that it was a broader concept than child protection since it included prevention. “They perceived that sport could be used as a vehicle for promoting discipline and values that could cause abuse of children, especially when coaches and PE teachers put pressure on them to excel,” the Communiqué said. COHSOD then recommended that member states adopt comprehensive policies that ensure the protection of all children involved in PE and Sport and to include the concept of ‘safeguarding and protection’ in their communication and advocacy strategies.
With regard to fostering inclusion through sport, the meeting encouraged member states to share their experiences on programmes, policy initiatives and systems that ensured that persons with disabilities full participation in physical activity and sport. Further, the meeting agreed that the Regional Task Force on PE should be reactivated.
Discussions also focused on the need to work with Para-Sport Organisations to reduce stigma and use sport as a socialising agent for the disabled. COHSOD said member states must put systems in place, systems to strengthen and support these organisations and encouraged those states that had yet to do so to establish Para-Sport Organisations.
Physical activities for the elderly – The Cuban Model
The meeting also said that as the elderly population in the region has increased significantly, with a longer life expectancy, it is necessary to promote healthy lifestyles among senior citizens by providing an enabling environment for them to participate in physical and recreational activities. The Cuban Model was reviewed and found to be one example of good practice that could be benchmarked by member states. This model includes programmes that focus on the involvement of seniors in daily sport and physical activities, delivered by trained specialists.
COHSOD encouraged members to consider policy and legislative refinements necessary to facilitate the health, social and economic well-being of its senior citizens. It also supported the development of national plans for the implementation of physical education and sport programmes for senior citizens and called for the collection of empirical data on the status of senior citizens in the Region.
The meeting also saw two presentations which highlighted the Caribbean’s potential for Sport Tourism; identifying linkages and prime destinations and products that could be harnessed and marketed creatively and competitively to attract tourists from targeted Easter regions such as China and India. It was noted that sports tourism accounted for 14 per cent of the overall tourism and travel industry and that growth was guaranteed for the next 10 years.
Developing a regional sport tourism framework
The COHSOD also reviewed and discussed the key modalities critical to the establishment of a regional strategic framework for sport tourism and agreed that in developing such an agenda, the Region needed to draw on best practices in competitive sports business markets. Some of the key modalities discussed included the building of regional consensus and political will for a unified approach to sports tourism; establishing a regional task force on sports tourism, developing a concept paper on sports tourism and developing a cadre of dedicated personnel within relevant government ministries to communicate and manage sports tourism initiative.
Commonwealth YouthGames 2017
St Lucia has been awarded the franchise to host the Commonwealth Youth Games 2017. The meeting heard that about 1000 athletes from 71 nations are expected to attend and participate in the six to eight sport disciplines. St Lucia is working with a budget of US$12M to host the Games, which would be dedicated to one of the Caribbean’s greatest sports administrators, Mike Fennell. The COHSOD congratulated St Lucia on winning the bid to host the Games and pledged to provide any needed support.
The meeting also discussed a proposal for the establishment of a state-of-the-art biomechanics Centre in the OECS; and recognised its importance in the development of the Region’s elite athletes. The presenter underlined the value of such technology in identifying mechanical flaws in the motions of athletes and prescribing corrective interventions to prevent injuries.
It was chaired by Senator Winston Williams, Minister of State with Responsibility for Sports, National School Meals and Special Projects in the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Gender Affairs, Antigua and Barbuda.
