American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance - AAHPERD

Issue: March 2009

The Voluntary Use of Physical Education Safety Guidelines in Schools
J. Peter Rothe

Abstract: About 25 percent of child injuries occur in schools, most of them during physical education activities. Physical education safety guidelines are one strategy to reduce the number of student injuries. However, based on the findings of a recent evaluation of provincial safety guidelines, only two-thirds of physical education teachers use the safety guidelines. This article discusses some of the major barriers for use of the safety guidelines, which include lack of awareness, the high cost of implementing safety recommendations, local cultural sensitivities, saturation of policies and guidelines for the classroom, teachers' perception of self as a professional, and the inherent nature of children. Although there is much debate about whether or not to make the use of safety guidelines mandatory or voluntary, the author recommends voluntary use to allow for maximum professional input.

Article category: Safety issues