People for Education Conference 2012

1. How can schools nurture healthy,
well-educated students?
By Bruce Kidd
Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education
University of Toronto

2.  1. Massive evidence for physical activity (PA) and
health eating as contributors to healthy growth and
development and effective learning
 2. To enhance PA through public education, we
must strengthen three effective but neglected
avenues:
◦ HPE curriculum
◦ After-school sports
◦ Active school transport

3. 4

4.  3 risk factors cause four chronic diseases (cardiovascular
disease, type 2 diabetes, many cancers and chronic lung
disease) that cause over 50% of deaths worldwide.
 The risk factors are:
Tobacco use
Lack of physical activity
Unhealthy diet (including harmful
use of alcohol)

5.  Only 7% of Canadian
children receive
recommended 60
minutes daily
 Upper-class children
3X more likely to
participate than those
from lower class
households

6.  Primary and secondary prevention of non-communicable
diseases (NCDs), especially cardio-respiratory diseases,
diabetes, some cancers, and obesity.
 Strengthened immune surveillance, reduced risk of
infection.
 Strengthened bone health, reduced risk of osteoporosis.
5

7.  Strengthened social inclusion.
 Strengthened community safety, reduced youth crime.
 Fewer sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted
pregnancies, sexual assaults.
 Increased school retention, academic achievement, and
school safety.
 Strengthened citizenship (moral behaviour, empathy,
reasoning and leadership).
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8. 1. Release and implement
the 2010 Ontario
curriculum, with much
improved sections on
◦ Sexual health
◦ Healthy eating
◦ Drug and alcohol
awareness
◦ Mental health challenges

9.  While keeping coaching
voluntary, boards and schools
recognize the time
commitment as part of
workload
 Teachers unions respect
members’ decisions to coach,
and recognize ‘the negative
impact on students when they
consider using withdrawal of
services from co-instructional
activities as a bargaining
tactic.’

10.  Promote school travel  Figure 1
planning, through
education,
enforcement,
improved
infrastructure, etc.