Sport NSW says lack of trained PE teachers is contributing to childhood obesity

EXCLUSIVE: AN “alarming” lack of trained PE teachers in primary schools is contributing to childhood obesity, NSW’s peak sporting body says.

NAPLAN testing could change eating and fitness habits for good.

• NAPLAN OVERHAUL: PRIMARY TEACHERS FITNESS TESTS

AN “alarming” lack of trained physical education teachers in primary schools is contributing to childhood obesity, the state’s peak sporting body said.

Sport NSW is calling for a curriculum overhaul so ­students as young as six would be forced to exercise for two 30-minute sessions each week.

“If this becomes commonplace in NSW primary schools, every student would have seven years of twice-weekly physical activity,” Sport NSW submitted to a parliamentary inquiry into childhood obesity.

The Education Department says there is an “adequate” supply of physical education teachers in NSW schools.

“The state government has the choice to make a bold decision to redirect funds to ­increasing participating in sport to reap the benefits of reduced healthcare costs in the future.”

Sport NSW said it was of the “strong view” that participation in physical education was the most significant way of reducing the rate of obesity.

It also warns that funding for the Sport Development Program, which aims to get more kids active, “has not changed since the year 2000”.

And it added the state was “nearing a crisis point” in accessible green space for sport.

It comes after The Saturday Daily Telegraph revealed a yet-to-be-released NSW Health ­report found 80 per cent of ­primary school sport teachers were not specialists.

Sport NSW is calling for a curriculum overhaul so ­students as young as six would be forced to exercise for two 30-minute sessions each week.

It also revealed the Schools Physical Activity and ­Nutrition Survey made the shock recommendation to conduct fitness tests through NAPLAN to ensure schools were taking sport seriously.

The report found that just one in five children was meeting the required amount of daily physical activity.

NSW Health later tried to distance itself from the SPANS survey, saying the NAPLAN suggestion was “not helpful nor feasible”.

It said the survey, which is only released every five years and based on 7500 students, “has not yet been finalised”.

Yet the report’s author Dr Louise Hardy stood by the idea to overhaul the national testing model, saying it would be “an excellent way forward”.

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority said that any changes to NAPLAN would “need the agreement and endorsement of the COAG Education Council comprising Australia’s nine education ministers”.

The Education Department said there was an “adequate” supply of physical education teachers in NSW schools.