Page 59 - Sember, Vedrana, and Shawnda A. Morrison. 2018. The Mind-Body Connection. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
P. 59
Physical Activity in Numbers
than 10% of schools actually do. All primary schools are obliged
to offer extracurricular sport programs, which are free of charge
for all children. In the best case scenario, a 10-year old in Slovenia
can receive 131 hours (or 7875 minutes) of regular PE lessons, plus
25 hours in school sport days, 35 hours of elective sport courses,
and at least 35 hours of extracurricular school-based sport practice,
summing to a total of 226 hours of school-based PE. Thus, Sloveni-
an primary schools offer access to 77 min of daily in-school, pro-
fessionally guided PA. In the (worst-case) event that a 10-year-old
would participate in only the compulsory 3-weekly lessons of PE
and obligatory school days, this number would drop to ∼39 min per
school day, still more than half the 60 min of recommended daily
physical activity (Sember et al., 2016).
In the past two decades, the national government and municip-
alities have invested in the reconstruction of old, and the building
of new, school sports halls including other sport infrastructure. For
example, from 2001–2008 public funding of sport infrastructure ex-
ceeded €300 million euros (Jurak, 2012). The policy of the Ministry
of Education, Science and Sport also enforces rules related to the
professional competencies of teachers and trainers in PE and youth
sport, which require people to have a university degree in PE to work
with young athletes (Zakon o športu, 2017). In addition, the Ministry
currently develops strategies to implement compulsory, joint teach-
ing of regular classroom teachers and PE teachers within the first
5 years of primary school to raise the quality and effectiveness of
PE. Finally, more than 25 years ago, the government of Slovenia es-
tablished the Centre for School and Outdoor Education programme
which has 23 learning centres scattered throughout the country.
Each of these centres employs at least one PE specialist, and of-
fers various outdoor activities that are not available within regular
school settings (Sember et al., 2016).
A key reason for the past effectiveness of government policies
related to schools, sport infrastructure, PE, and its curriculum in
Slovenia is the evidence-based policy planning of the Ministry of
Education, Science and Sports (Kovacˇ et al., 2015). The Ministry has
continuously supported the SLOfit monitoring system and has been
57
than 10% of schools actually do. All primary schools are obliged
to offer extracurricular sport programs, which are free of charge
for all children. In the best case scenario, a 10-year old in Slovenia
can receive 131 hours (or 7875 minutes) of regular PE lessons, plus
25 hours in school sport days, 35 hours of elective sport courses,
and at least 35 hours of extracurricular school-based sport practice,
summing to a total of 226 hours of school-based PE. Thus, Sloveni-
an primary schools offer access to 77 min of daily in-school, pro-
fessionally guided PA. In the (worst-case) event that a 10-year-old
would participate in only the compulsory 3-weekly lessons of PE
and obligatory school days, this number would drop to ∼39 min per
school day, still more than half the 60 min of recommended daily
physical activity (Sember et al., 2016).
In the past two decades, the national government and municip-
alities have invested in the reconstruction of old, and the building
of new, school sports halls including other sport infrastructure. For
example, from 2001–2008 public funding of sport infrastructure ex-
ceeded €300 million euros (Jurak, 2012). The policy of the Ministry
of Education, Science and Sport also enforces rules related to the
professional competencies of teachers and trainers in PE and youth
sport, which require people to have a university degree in PE to work
with young athletes (Zakon o športu, 2017). In addition, the Ministry
currently develops strategies to implement compulsory, joint teach-
ing of regular classroom teachers and PE teachers within the first
5 years of primary school to raise the quality and effectiveness of
PE. Finally, more than 25 years ago, the government of Slovenia es-
tablished the Centre for School and Outdoor Education programme
which has 23 learning centres scattered throughout the country.
Each of these centres employs at least one PE specialist, and of-
fers various outdoor activities that are not available within regular
school settings (Sember et al., 2016).
A key reason for the past effectiveness of government policies
related to schools, sport infrastructure, PE, and its curriculum in
Slovenia is the evidence-based policy planning of the Ministry of
Education, Science and Sports (Kovacˇ et al., 2015). The Ministry has
continuously supported the SLOfit monitoring system and has been
57
