Physical & Health Education · Lesson 1

Meaning and history of PE, the Olympic movement, Nigeria in sport, health education and promotion

JAMBWAECNECO

What the syllabus asks

JAMB: JAMB UTME PHE Section A (foundations and principles of PE; philosophy, objectives and settings of health education; health promotion)

WAEC: Principles and philosophy of PE, PE ideologies, Greek festivals and the Olympic Games; history and development of PE in Nigeria

NECO: Principles and philosophy of PE, PE ideologies, Greek festivals and the Olympic Games; history and development of PE in Nigeria

What you will learn

Define PE and state its nature, scope and objectives.
Explain the change from education of the physical to education through the physical.
State the contributions of Hetherington, Sargent, Wood and Dewey.
Compare physical education in Sparta, Athens and Rome.
Describe the four Greek festivals and the ancient Olympic Games.
Describe the revival, symbols and aims of the modern Olympics and Nigeria’s record.
Trace PE in pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial Nigeria and explain PE ideologies.
Define health education, its philosophy, objectives and settings, and distinguish it from health promotion.

Key points

PE: education of the whole person through planned physical activity; four domains: physical, motor, cognitive, affective.
Education of the physical (body) → education through the physical (whole person).
Hetherington 1910: organic, psychomotor, character, intellectual objectives.
Sargent: Hemenway Gymnasium (1879), anthropometry, Sargent jump; Wood: natural activities, school health; Dewey: learning by doing.
Sparta: agoge from age 7, state control, military aim, girls trained.
Athens: kalokagathia, palaestra, paidotribes, ephebes, pentathlon.
Rome: Campus Martius, utilitarian; later gladiators, “bread and circuses”; mens sana in corpore sano (Juvenal).
Festivals: Olympic–Zeus–olive; Pythian–Apollo–laurel; Isthmian–Poseidon–pine; Nemean–Zeus–celery.
Ancient Olympics 776 BC, Koroibos, stadion; sacred truce; ended c. AD 393.
Coubertin, IOC 23 June 1894, Athens 1896; rings 1913/1920; flame 1928; relay 1936; Communiter 2021.
Nigeria: 1952 debut; Maiyegun bronze 1964; Ajunwa and football gold 1996; no medals Paris 2024.
WHO health definition; health education vs health promotion; five settings.

Start here: Meaning, nature and scope of physical education

Physical education (PE) is the part of general education that uses planned physical activity (games, sports, athletics, gymnastics, dance, outdoor pursuits and exercise) to develop the whole person: body, mind, feelings and social skills. The key word is education. A child who plays football on the street is playing; a child who is taught how to pass, why the offside law exists, how to warm up and how to win and lose with dignity is receiving physical education.

A working definition for the exam

Write: “Physical education is an integral part of the total education process which aims at the development of physically, mentally, emotionally and socially fit citizens through planned and supervised physical activities.” Examiners accept any definition that includes (1) education, (2) physical activity as the medium and (3) the all-round development of the individual.

Nature of PE

Activity-based: learning happens mainly by moving and doing.
Educational: it has objectives, a syllabus, teachers and assessment like any other subject.
Interdisciplinary: it draws on anatomy, physiology, physics (mechanics of motion), psychology, sociology and history.
Lifelong: it aims to give skills and habits that people carry into adult life (the “carry-over value” mentioned in the WAEC syllabus preamble).
Inclusive: the UNESCO charter quoted in the WAEC syllabus says every child has a right to physical activity irrespective of race, gender, religion or physical state.

Scope of PE

The scope is the range of areas the subject covers:

Athletics (track and field) and gymnastics.
Ball games (football, basketball, volleyball, handball, hockey) and racket games (table tennis, badminton, tennis).
Aquatics (swimming), dance and rhythmic activities, traditional sports.
Physical fitness and conditioning; recreation and leisure; outdoor education such as camping and hiking.
Health education, first aid, safety and nutrition.
Corrective and adapted PE for people with disabilities.
Sports administration, officiating, and the history and philosophy of sport.

In Nigeria the senior secondary subject is called Physical and Health Education (PHE) because health topics are taught with PE. JAMB’s syllabus has twelve sections (A to L), from foundations of PE to family life education.

Worked example 1.1 (WAEC Paper 2, Section B style)

(a) Define physical education. (b) State four areas within the scope of physical education.

Answer: (a) Physical education is the aspect of education that develops the individual physically, mentally, emotionally and socially through planned, supervised physical activities. (b) Athletics; ball and racket games; gymnastics; dance; recreation; health education and first aid; adapted PE; sports administration (any four).

Examiner’s tip: “Sports” alone is not a definition of PE. Always mention education and all-round development.

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Practice questions

1. Hetherington’s four objectives of physical education (1910) include organic, psychomotor, character and

intellectual education
military education
religious education
musical education

Show answer

A: intellectual education
From ‘Fundamental Education’.

2. The ancient Spartan system of state training for boys from about age 7 was the

ephebia
palaestra
gymnasium
agoge

Show answer

D: agoge
Athens used the palaestra and ephebia.

3. The ancient Olympic Games honoured

Apollo
Athena
Zeus
Poseidon

Show answer

C: Zeus
The Pythian Games honoured Apollo; Isthmian, Poseidon.

4. The first recorded Olympic champion (776 BC) was

Kyniska
Koroibos
Spyridon Louis
Milo

Show answer

B: Koroibos
He won the stadion race.

5. The International Olympic Committee was founded in

Paris, 1894
Athens, 1896
London, 1908
Olympia, 776 BC

Show answer

A: Paris, 1894
Pierre de Coubertin led it.

Key words

Physical education: Education of the whole person through planned, supervised physical activity.
Scope: The range of areas a subject covers.
Psychomotor: Relating to skilled movement controlled by the nervous system.
Affective domain: Feelings, attitudes, values and social behaviour.
Agoge: The state military training system of Spartan boys.
Palaestra: Wrestling school in ancient Greece.
Paidotribes: Physical training teacher in ancient Athens.
Ephebe: Young Athenian man in military training, about age 18.
Panhellenic: Open to all Greeks.
Olympiad: The four-year period between Olympic Games.
Stadion: Ancient sprint of one stadium length.
Pankration: Ancient combat sport combining boxing and wrestling.

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