PDHPE teaches important life skills like communication, decision making, social interaction, physical activity, and problem solving. The skills are taught through activities like games and group work, which help students learn to communicate effectively, make healthy choices, relate positively to others, develop fundamental movement abilities, and solve problems. These skills are essential for functioning well in society and are not primarily about sport or relationships, as many believe.

1. What is PDHPE?
Many believe that PDHPE is all about sport, and when it’s not, it is all about
‘the birds and the bees’.
In reality PDHPE sylabus promotes the development of important life skills
that are necessary to function happily in society. The skills that are promoted
in this subject are covered throughout the next slides

2. Communicating
According to the syllabus, through taking PDHPE classes
in primary school, children learn how to express their
needs and wants, to listen attentivelly, and to use
negotiaton and conflict resolution amongst other things.
This is a skill very much needed in life. All employers look
for good communication skills when hiring. Plus, being
able to communicate well is a fantastic skill to have in
everyday life.

3. Decision Making
According to the syllabus, children should learn to make
healthy personal lifestyle choices that benefit their own
health, safety and wellbeing, and that of those around
them.
Learning how and when to say ‘no’ in instances of peer
pressure, learning how to recognise danger in all
environments, and learning to make positive choices in
foods. These are just some of the incredibly important
skills children learn from ‘decision making’ in PDHPE.
These are skills that are taught in no other school subject.

4. Interacting
According to the syllabus, students learn how to relate positively
to others by working cooperatively in a group, both following
and making rules for games and other activities, developing and
maintaining friendships, and offering and accepting assistance
when it is needed.
Social interaction is an everyday occurrence, and it is important
to ensure children can handle themselves appropriately in social
situations. This is a skill that is mostly learnt through actual
interactions both with fellow children and adults, through
playing games and participating in group activities. This
demonstrates the (not just physical) importance of games for
children.

5. Moving
By participating in games, according to the syllabus, students
learn to move effectively in response to a variety of stimuli and
develop fundamental movement skills such as throwing,
catching, kicking, jumping and running.
It is important that children get at least sixty minutes of exercise
daily, and a good physical lesson encourages students to be more
physically active through fun games. Physical lessons also focus
on creating better quality movements to assure students gain the
most they can from each lesson.

6. Problem Solving
According to the syllabus, student develop problem solving skills
by observing, questioning, and researching, and using a range of
problem solving strategies. They will learn how to select the
most appropriate solution, identify those who can assist, carry
out their plan, and reflect on results.
Children learn how to deal with issues like bullying, are
encouraged to find trust-worthy friends and get assistance. This
is of course is an incredibly valuable lesson. Problem solving is a
tool that we utilize everyday, and it is important that we learn
effective problem solving skills.