Advocacy

ACHPER plays a crucial role in promoting the need for quality Health & Physical Education in our community. As your professional association, ACHPER undertakes much lobbying to improve the areas of focus in which you work, raise the profile of the need to have active and healthy children in our community, across Government departments and many organisations. ACHPER SA provides advocacy and leadership through innovative, quality professional services and programs that supports educators, coaches, schools and individuals through Conferences, resources, mentoring and networking opportunities to enhance quality movement and wellbeing experiences.

  

ACHPER's role in advocacy involves:

  • Promoting ACHPER membership as means of career enhancement and employability
  • Lobbying Government Ministers, Key Staff and Stakeholders to raise the profile of HPE within key focus areas of Education, Health, and Recreation and Sport
  • Advocating for HPE entitlement for all students
  • Seeking a quality Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education
  • Supporting quality pre-service preparation of teachers
  • Uptake of National Professional Standards for Teachers and school leaders 

 

Why are Health & Physical Education Teachers so important?

A quality health and physical education (HPE) program will enable students to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to make decisions and take action that leads to a healthy and physically active lifestyle for themselves and the community in which they live.

It takes a quality health and physical education professional to provide:

  • A developmentally appropriate and meaningful program that enhances the physical, cognitive, and affective development of all students
  • Inclusive instruction that maximises engagement by all students in class activities
  • Ongoing assessment and feedback to all students that is used to guide student learning
  • A program that supports lifelong learning toward leading a healthy and physically active life

 

How much time does your school allocate to HPE?

  • ACHPER SA encourages your own local School to ensure a quality and developmentally appropriate program. Check out our position statements to assist your planning, attend one of our many professional learning activities to assist your own program.
  • Evidence suggests that time in physical education and physical activity may actually improve academic learning. Research conducted has found no negative effect on academic performance when physical education and physical activity time has been increased during the school day.
  • A major barrier to increasing physical education time in schools is the perception that time spent in activities such as physical education, physical activity and recess will undermine academic learning but nothing could be further from the truth.
  

Questions to ask about your school:

  • Has our school developed an up to date written Health and Physical Education policy?
  • Do we currently meet or surpass the minimum time mandates for Health & Physical Education?
  • Do we have a planned and sequential program that addresses key content descriptors and elaborations of South Australian Curriculum?
  • Does our HPE program provide learning experiences that are inclusive of all students and are safe, enjoyable and promote an active and healthy lifestyle?
  • Does our HPE program include ongoing, authentic assessment as an integrated part of learning?

If you answered 'No' or 'Maybe' to any of these questions and would like support in further developing your program, please get in touch with a member of our Professional Learning team. ACHPER members receive one free call with an ACHPER staff to assist their own local advocacy within their own community.

 

Advocacy Documents

Please check out a summary of ACHPER SA research findings, recommendations and beliefs.

ACHPER SA Summary of Research Findings, Recommendations & Beliefs

Looking for some positive messages about physical activity, healthy eating and movement? Check out these messages to use in your School newsletter - simply copy and paste!

Newsletter Inserts

Check out our Position Statements 

ACHPER Position Statements