Physical Education and Sport in England: Dualism, Partnership and Delivery Provision

In England, recent years have witnessed unprecedented central government policy commitment to investment in physical education and sport. The rationale for investment variously lies with the state of the health of the nation, obesity levels with associated health care costs predicted at £2 billion annually, sedentary lifestyles and in high drop-out rates of young people from sport. At the same time, research into effects of physical activity and cognitive functioning, influence on development of positive psycho-social qualities, and studies showing rising levels of attendance and attentiveness when children engage in regular exercise while exclusions and disruptive behaviour fall, provide evidence that a sports (broadly defined) active lifestyle can improve health, counter anti-social behaviours and foster social inclusion. Such juxta-positioning of apparent opposites is rather paradoxical. The government’s investment commitment has resonance in such a context by attempting to reconcile the historical duality of physical education and sport in partnership approaches. This article addresses physical education/sport partnership issues along with government and quasi nongovernmental agency interventions and the response of a higher education training provider, University of Worcester, to consequent occupational opportunities in present day England. Additionally, as a precursor to, and in order to provide a more informed contextual setting for the issues, interventions and provider response to be addressed, an overview of the evolution and subsequent development of physical education and sport is provided.