Releasing youngsters' potential thanks to physical education

Project supported by Physical Literacy for Children

Physical Literacy for Children (PL4C) is a South African non-profit organisation that teaches physical skills to poorer people and children with special needs.

This PL4C initiative is a programme for implementing physical education in Johannesburg and Cape Town schools, the objects of which are to teach basic motor skills and physical knowledge to the younger populations and henceforth to encourage them to have active lifestyles with healthier choices regarding their health and well-being.

Context

In spite of a school dropout rate of 98 %, South Africa is grappling with the significant need of improving both its school system and facilities. In some localities in Cape Town and Johannesburg, most of the underfunded community schools have no proper sports facilities or duly trained educators matching PL4C standards. Therefore, 70 % of the primary schoolchildren have not reached the minimal requirement of an hour’s physical activity for a healthy lifestyle, in conformity with World Health Organisation recommendations.

NGOs have been trying to tackle this problem of limited access by using sports programmes for development. A 2019 Laureus Sports for Good survey has revealed that such interventions in South Africa disproportionately focus on development, social cohesion and the consolidation of peace, as well as mental health and well-being.

In this regard, PL4C has undertaken to work with the local schools, secure some educational benefits for the children and help the latter complete the stages of their own development, well-being and education.

Objectives

Building children’s physical knowledge from the underfunded schools of South Africa in order to bring a unique contribution to the achievement of SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 4 (quality education), SDG 10 (reducing inequalities) and SDG 17 (partnership to reach the goals).
Dealing with gender-based inequalities
Offering 42 physical education sessions to 720 vulnerable schoolchildren in the targeted cities (Johannesburg and Cape Town) and henceforth reinforcing their mobility and well-being

Activities

Designing appropriate linguistic and contextual content for offered remote physical literacy sessions in each of the provinces
Weakly physical education sessions (online sessions abiding by the restrictions of the pandemic) dedicated to the children from 7 partner schools
Building lasting partnerships with one school in every Mpumalanga, North West and Eastern Cape province
Supplying them with sports equipment and resources to facilitate remote online sessions, notably smart TVs, T-shirts, etc.
Monthly session at the kids gym (gymnastics for children), in compliance with the pandemic restrictions, for the children of Molenbeek, Perpetua, Witkoppen and Joe Slovo

Impacts

120 children with specific needs from two underfunded schools in Cape Town (Molenbeek and Perpetua)
300 first year students from two schools, Joe Slovo Primary School in Cape Town and Witkoppen Primary School in Johannesburg
300 students from the underfunded schools shall be admitted in Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape and North West
294 weekly sessions globally, that is 42 physical education sessions held in 7 partner schools