IT was tales of woes when the Nigeria Association for Physical, Health Education, Recreation, Sports and Dance (NAPHER-SD) had their 25th State workshop and conference last week.
The event with the theme” Resilience through Sports, Health and Physical Education, Business for mitigating Economic Challenges and promoting National Development was a revelation.
I counted myself lucky to have attended the event amidst so many stakeholders.
The President of the association, Godspower Odedede in his address did not mince words when he told a bewildered audience that some Principals issued queries to teachers for attending the Congress.
Okodedede expressly stated that despite our outstanding dominance in Sports in Nigeria, Sports at the grassroot remains in a sorry state due to neglect of physical and health Education in schools.
Not done, he confirmed that many institutions of learning especially primary and Secondary schools have abandoned the subject while some only have the subject listed on their timetable as decoration with intent of using such time for other subjects.
Furthermore, he also revealed that there is a drastic shortage of physical education teachers in public primary and Secondary schools across the state. That many schools do not have sporting facilities while some have gradually converted such to shops and weekend event centres.” Few schools that have physical education teachers are often assigned to teach other subjects because they seem to place no value on the subject”.
It is very u fortunate that this could be happening in our primary and secondary schools in the State.
I therefore align myself with the thought of the Chairman of NAPHER-SD and some stakeholders that as professionals who can implement change, they must stand to do the needful. They must as a matter of fact put their research findings into practice, strategise to be able to influence those in charge of schools. This must be done to see that Physical, health education and Sports take their rightful place in Delta State.
Specifically, the Ministries of Primary Education, Basic and Secondary Education, Higher Education must come together and develop a framework that will see school sports thrives in Delta. Those Principals fond of thwarting the effort of NAPHER-SD must be warned and sanctioned if necessary to serve as a deterrent to others.
The Ministry of Youth Development and the Sports Commission must synergise to nurture the talents that will come from the Schools. This is the only way to bring out the best from them.
Such collaboration will no doubt yield positive results that will see Delta reclaim its lost glory. From available statistics, Delta have been found wanting in age grade competitions which is very unusual.
Moreover, it is pertinent to state that schools without sporting facilities should no longer be approved and those that have converted their sports fields to shops or event centres should be sanctioned.
The challenge before school Principals is to see that they encourage sports in a number of ways. The Bible says you should train a child on the way he should go abd when he grows up, he will not depart from it.
The Principals as a matter of principle must highlight the benefits of participating in Sports to the pupils. They must emphasise the fun in sports and extracurricular activities to their students.
In addition, the Principals must show support for student’s involvement in sports by attending games abd events, and go further to celebrate their achievements. There is a way to help students balance their academic and athletic commitments by teaching time management strategies and setting priorities.
Furthermore, the Principals should go on to demonstrate the importance of hardwork, perseverance and resilience in their own life. Schools should be allowed to form Sports Clubs for it allows students to take on accountability and responsibilities, giving them a sense of fulfillment while developing competences that can be applied within the school and beyond. It thus helps students to build a lasting friendship and make them fell part of a wider community.
On this point, it must be well stated that school based sports programmes can bring out noticeable positive reactions and behaviour in young adults.
It is unfortunate that in today’s age, students spend more time glued to television screens, smartphones and rooted to their classroom desks.
In conclusion, Sports deserves as much as attention as any other academic subject.
