‘ROLE OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN HOLISTIC PERSONALITY

DEVELOPMENT AND NATION BUILDING’

Dr. Devinder K. KansalHead, Deptt. of Physical Education & Sports Sciences

(University of Delhi ) &

Principal, Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education & Sports Sciences

March 11, 20111

Physical Activity Obligation

The paper proves with historical and factualevidences that physical education andteaching physical activity (PA) is the obligatoryduty of the institutions of higher educationbecause it (PA) is the foundation of holisticpersonality development and nation building.The concept of the paper is based on threehistorical facts.

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Historical Facts

One, education is the process of drawing out thebest out of one’ body, mind and soul in the childand adult (Mahatma Gandhi, 1904).

Two, one of the essential conditions for theeffective exercise of human rights is thateveryone should be free to develop and preservehis or her physical, intellectual and moral powerand that access to physical education and sportsshould be assured and guaranteed for all humanbeings (UNESCO, 1978).

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Physical Activity Essentiality

Three, regular, moderate physical activity isessential for the prevention of ill-health andteaching the methods of performing safe andeffective regular physical activity daily isessential component of physical educationand also that of education.

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No Accountability

There is no accountability fixed either ongovernment or on the autonomic institutionsof higher education (universities) to runobligatory ‘Centres of Application of validKnowledge Existing (CAKE) in authenticliterature.

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Faulty Education

Due to the ignorance about the standarddefinitions of education and physicaleducation among the majority, incompleteeducation is being awarded without providingholistic education. As language is theessential component of communication so isthe physical activity an essential componentneeded for proper education.

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Experts Suppressed

But due to the democratic set-up (wheremajority is authority) and right excellence ineducation has been suppressed by theignorant majority. Developing nations cannotbe build efficiently by the weak andincompetent educationists having littleknowledge and no experience of rightmethodology of physical activity.

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Inactivity Degenerates

Inactivity not only makes the unused parts ofmuscles degenerate but also reduces thesensitivity of insulin and results in the increasedamount of low density lipoproteins in blood andsub-cutaneous fatty tissue. Ignorance to thehealing power, and disease preventing power ofphysical activity is wide spread among universitygraduates due to the non-inclusion of any courseon physical activity in our formal education toundergraduate college students.

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Conscience Killed

As is rightly said, sound mind resides only insound body so is equally true ‘conscience andawareness are the exhibits of soul-consciousbehaviour’ not taught in present day formaleducation system.

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Education not Holistic : PE

Similarly, holistic education is decorativecomponent of educational statements like‘Education deals with all round developmentof personality’. This statement is actuallyindirect. It’s direct form is ‘Learning the roleof regular physical activity, balanced nutrition,healthy lifestyle habits including a livelihoodearning method, is the real education for all-round development of personality.

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Autonomy Causes Mediocracy

Just as it is difficult to locate individualspecies at risk in forests, it is equally difficultto locate real effective informations forimplementation; real good books have notbeen included in formal course contents.

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Courses CAKEs Missing

Is it not surprising, there is no regular set-upto compile best course contents for pre-service teachers, rather discretely selectedfew invited resource persons makerecommendations without any considerationto UNO’s recommendation, NCERT’s curricularframework or proposed syllabi or DelorsCommission recommendations on four pillarsof education.

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PA Neglected in GE

It may not be known to majority of theexperts in higher education that physicalactivity is the root cause of holistic personalitydevelopment. But, it is as hard a fact as thatthe gravitational force was acting on all of theliving and non-living bodies even before it wasdiscovered by Sir Isac Newton in seventeenthcentury. Since, then many applications ofgravitational force have served mankind.

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Unlike PE, Education’s Definition not Standardized

Similarly, once the definition of the term‘Education’ is standardized many practicalbenefits will start serving the educationistsand the entire humanity at large. It may benoted, NASPE in USA has already standardizedthe definition of Physically educated people.

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Definition of Physically Educated Person (NASPE, 1990)

A physically educated person :-

• Demonstrates competencies in many movement forms.

• Applies movement concepts to motor skills.

• Exhibits physically active lifestyle and is physically fit.

• Knows the implications of the benefits from involvementin physical activity.

• Values physical activity and its contributions to health &wellness.

• Demonstrates responsible personal & social behavior.

• Understands that physical activity provides opportunitiesfor enjoyment, challenge, self expression and socialinteraction.

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Definitions To Be Standardized

Now, it is high time that UNESCO or any nationalbody like NCERT, NUEPA or UGC take note of theneed and urgency of standardizing the pragmaticdefinition of an educated person.

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Proposed Definition : Educated Person

A holistically educated person is oneWho knows that best personality development is inone’s own hands.

• To take right regular moderate physical activity;balanced food, right amounts of sleep & rest daily,firm no to SAD.

• Keeps positive attitude, evaluates circumstances andstimuli in the right perspective.

• Learns one earning subject/skill.• Keeps cool under all circumstances and controls all

passions & emotions.• Remains conscious to be honest, truthful, and

trustworthy.17

P.A. Function Imp.

The discovery of the fact that physical activityis essential for each of the processes of repair,growth and development can be intensivelyused for the benefit of the mankind byintroducing a PA paper in core-curriculum ofall first degree courses.

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Delors Commission Un-noticed

But, it is possible only if excellence is detachedfrom majority opinion, and holistic educationrecommendations of expert bodies like UNOconstituted Delors Commission’s report andthe recommendations of managementstatlwarts like Steven Covey, Jim Loehr andTony Schwartz, are immediately madeobligatory for inclusion in pre-service teachertraining programmes like B.Ed., B.P.Ed. etc.

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Righteousness in Courses

In all things, success depends on previouspreparations; without such preparationsthere is failure.

- Confucius.

Right Preparation for life through holisticeducation inclusive of Physical Activity canconstitute a perfect course work.

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PAT Essential to be Educated

As Language is the essential component ofcommunication needed for education, so isthe Physical Activity Techniques (or PE) anessential component of education for teachinghealthy & enjoyable living.

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PA Course to be Made Compulsory

The real hurdle to happiness andimplementation for holistic personalitydevelopment is ignorance to the benefits ofPhysical Activity necessary for all creatures.Hence, there is no formal recognition to thefact that PA education is compulsory for eachundergraduate.

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Nation Building by P.E.

What our country now wants are muscles ofiron and nerves of steel – gigantic wills whichnothing can resist. Truth, purity andunselfishness (as in team work in sports)wherever these are present, there is no powerbelow or above the sun to crush the possessorthere of.

- Narinder Nath Datta (1863-1902)

(Swami Vivekananda)

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Fix Accountability for Courses

Due to non-accountable and non-homeostaticset-ups, there is no surprise that even thehighest bodies’ recommendations e.g. DelorsCommission’s entitled ‘Learning The Treasurewithin’ (1996) and (ii) Recommendations ofU.S. Department of Health & Human Services(1996) based on the Report of the SurgeonGeneral on Physical Activity and Health, USDHHS, Atlanta have not been realized.

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Physical Activity Aim

“Physical Education must have an aim asbroad as education itself and as noble ashuman life. The great thought in physicaleducation …………………………… is the relation ofphysical training to complete education……………………….

- Dr. Thomas Wood, 1893

(c.f. Daryl Siendentop, 2007)

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Luther Hasley Gulick’s Saying (1904)for Nation Building

“The advancement of Physical Education willdepend more upon the kind of men who takeup this work as a profession than upon anyother one factor. If, men of collegiate training,philosophic minds are induced to enter thefield of physical education, the profession willshow that it is intrinsically a broad, scientific,philosophic field, and it will be recognized inthe upbuilding of the nation”.

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No Compulsion to accept Experts’ Sayings

tSls ge xq:vksa dks rks ekurs gS ijUrq xq:vksa dhdFkuh ugha ekursA oSls gh ge egkRek xka/kh ;k

Dr. Thomas Wood and Luther HasleyGulick dks rks ekurs gSa ijUrq muds fl)kUr gevius thou eas iz;ksx ugha djrsA

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PET to Prescribe PA

“Just as there is a correct dosage of medicinefor treating an illness, there is a correctdosage of PA for promoting health benefitsand for developing physical fitness”.

- Corbin et al., 2006

Hence, just like the need of doctors toprescribe and moderate medicine individuallythere is an essential need of a PhysicalEducation expert Teacher to prescribe PhysicalActivity individually.

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PA Kingdom of PETs

Physical Activity is thus the kingdom ofPhysical Education Teachers.

Physical Activity is the foundation to developmuscles of iron, nerves of steel (Body),controller of passions (Heart), sharpener ofintellect (Brain) and truthful existence ofspirits (Soul).

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Universities Imparting Imperfect Edu.

We must notice the great loss caused duringthe past due to the lame education beingimparted by the universities of the world, wethe physical educationists who alone knowthis fallacy and who alone can provide theremedy by educating the teacher trainersholistically.

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PA inseparable from Education

The need of the hour is to cut short the blindera of education and put sight to practice bytaking the facts to light before the effectivebodies and authorities in education. This ispossible only by concerted efforts of wepeople, by somehow managing to implementthe facts of physical activity.

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PA Promotion for HPD

Hence, we have miles to go which we mustenjoy seriously and learn to be updated for PApromotion for holistic development ofpersonality and real nation building.

The delay in organizing right human resourceswell versed with both theoretical andpractical aspects of physical activity hascaused us a great loss.

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Many Universities without PE

Is it not heartening to note that hospitals areincreasing on a larger scale than are the playgrounds or even the departments of physicaleducation in the universities? While, it is afact that real education through physicalactivity education may not only reduce theneed of hospitals but can also help in nationbuilding through increased humanproductivity and more healthy and fit humanbeings.

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Paradigm Change Planning Needed

It is high time, let us organize and distributeduties to get this knowledge well propagatedamong media channels, bureaucrats,politicians, UGC etc. who could then make theuniversity authorities belief in facts and stopgiving lame education and start giving holisticeducation. This alone can result in nationbuilding .

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Pre-service T.T.C. to include PE

Even according to NCERT, there is a need toreview the curriculum, syllabus and pedagogyof the teacher’s training programme forhealth, physical education and yoga offered bydifferent colleges, institutions and deemeduniversities in this area within the conceptualframework offered by the focus group. Allteacher education courses must includehealth, yoga and physical education as acompulsory subject (NCERT, 2011).

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Steps of Implementation

One, by becoming role models of active lifestyleand by remaining fit.

Two, by telling examples of aged healthy PETsProf. C. Giri, Prof. M.L. Kamlesh, Prof. S.N.Sharma, Retired Army officers, film actors likeDev Anand, Hema Malini, Rekha, MadhuriDixit etc. in comparison to inactive Late Sh. RajKapoor, Amjad Khan, Mehmood, Tun-Tun etc.

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Steps of Implementation (Contd..)

Three, by introducing one full paper on PhysicalActivity in our B.P.Ed., M.P.Ed. courses and bymodifying admission criteria to two channels(i) Sports Excellence channel.

(ii) Fitness/HPD/Nation Building channel.

Four, like existing increasing gym culture run byprivate business men, we should run moreeffective and academically sound fitnesscentres in all universities.

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Learn from Past Experience

The above implementational steps are veryimportant, especially in light of the fact thatthese things have remained unimplementedinspite of being pointed and accepted in 100years back around the year 1900 or so.

If some thing drastic is not done now anothercenturies may follow the past.

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Objectives of Health Goals - 2020

“Improve health, fitness, and quality of life ofall people through the adoption andmaintenance of regular, daily physical activity”(by increasing proportion of people who doregular exercise for Strength, aerobic capacity,flexibility & weight management)

- USDHHS: Health Goals for the year 2010

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THANK YOU

FOR YOUR PATIENT HEARING

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