Encouraging students to be active and healthy for life

The Australian Health and Physical Education (HPE) Curriculum (ACARA, 2015) aims for students to develop the skills and dispositions necessary for lifelong participation in physical activities. Consequently, lifelong physical activities are one of the 12 focus areas of the HPE curriculum. These 12 focus areas provide the range of learning content, and contexts, that students must be familiar with in order to demonstrate the knowledge, understanding and skills they require to attain the achievement standards. Lifelong physical activities are defined as “physical activities that can enhance health and wellbeing across the lifespan, including individual and group activities and active recreation activities” (ACARA, 2015, p. 92). School health and physical education classes can be considered the entry-point for lifelong participation in physical activity (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), 2015). UNESCO stated that up to 10% of all deaths from noncommunicable diseases such as obesity, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes can be attributed to physical inactivity. These diseases are likely to be an increasing problem in Australia due to a projected increase in the percentage of the population aged 50 years and over (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2015). For this reason a high quality health and physical education program should encourage students to have a lifelong engagement in physical activity and sport, and give them opportunities to experience a range of activities through which they can lead active and healthy lives.