Pre-service primary school teachers' experiences of physical education (letter)

In Australia, National Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that children participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) every day. Participation in physical activity provides numerous physical and psychological health benefits for school-aged children. However, data suggest that Australian children are not adequately active. In 2007, only 40% of Australian children aged 9-13 years met the recommended daily MVPA requirements. Schools play an important role in supporting children to develop the knowledge and skills to lead physically active lifestyles, and key to this is the delivery of high-quality physical education (PE). Despite this, school implementation of PE, and physical activity programs more generally, has been less than optimal.