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Active transport to and from school, exercise breaks in lessons, changes in physical education lessons, open playgrounds, more school sports competitions, more intensive support for sports talents, but also support for dual careers of athletes at universities. All of this is contained in the material "Plan for supporting the movement of children, pupils and students in schools and school facilities and the state policy of school and university sports for the period 2024-2028" (abbreviated as "Youth in movement and health"), which the Ministry of Education and Culture is submitting to the government for discussion today.
The role of the school and the school environment, where children, pupils and students spend a significant part of the day for many years and also acquire important habits for the rest of their lives, is absolutely essential for supporting the solution of problems associated with a lack of physical activity , which is needed within the framework of a targeted state adequately reflect policies , " says the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Mikuláš Bek on the topic of supporting exercise activities in schools, saying that it is the first comprehensive national concept of its kind in history .
The issue of school and university sports has been redefined by the new law on the support of sports , which, with effect from 1 April 2023, requires the Ministry of Education and Culture to support this area . " However, we perceive the area of school and university sports as part of a broader concept of measures, activities and activities which, in mutual synergy, will significantly increase the physical activity of children, pupils and students and at the same time reduce the negative effects of insufficient movement on their physical and mental health ," explains Ondřej Andrys , State Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
The conceptual document Youth in motion and health is divided into two parts. The first one is dedicated to supporting physical activities of pupils in schools and school facilities and is based on several basic pillars:
Support for the active movement regime of pupils throughout the day ( active transport from/to school, active breaks, moments of movement, open playgrounds, campaign to support movement) .
Physical education teaching ( curriculum revision , greater use of available hours for physical education , innovation of undergraduate training for physical education teachers , further education of teaching staff, methodological activities and a methodological-educational portal).
Movement and sports activities in hobby education .
Development of sports infrastructure .
Monitoring of physical activity support .
The second part of the document is explicitly devoted to the field of school and university sports:
School sports (School sports competitions, preparation of athletically talented students) .
University sports (Support of physical activities at universities, support of dual careers of athletes).
When implementing the movement support plan, cooperation with the Czech School Inspectorate as a national authority for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of education and an important institution with a national impact in the field of methodical support of schools directly on the ground is counted on . " The methodological recommendation based on the concept of Active Schools , which we created and which is fully in line with the presented national concept of movement support, provides a number of concrete recommendations and ideas that schools can start using practically immediately , " adds central school inspector Tomáš Zat l oukal and adds that the methodological recommendation also reflects the results of the nationwide testing of pupils' physical fitness from 2022 .
As with a number of other topics related to the support of a healthy lifestyle for children, pupils and students, the Ministry of Education and Culture cooperates with the State Institute of Health on solving the issue of supporting physical activity among young people .
" Not only as the director of the State Health Institute, but also as a doctor and mother of two sons, I strongly perceive the role of healthy movement and a healthy lifestyle as basic prerequisites for maintaining health and taking care of it. That is why the State Health Institute supports not only exercise as a preventive activity , but also focuses on other related topics, such as mental health support or changes in school meals , " reminds the complexity of health care, Director of the State Health Institute Barbora Macková.
The importance of supporting the movement of children and young people has been recognized for a long time by a number of different entities, from the non-profit sector to commercial space to employer associations . "The Czech sports non-profit and business environment unequivocally welcomes the material supporting physical activities at school and considers it not only a key document for increasing the physical literacy of children and youth, but also a significant strategic investment in the physical and mental health of our population. We are ready to get involved in the implementation both through our trainers and instructors, and in the form of an offer of our sports infrastructure. As examples of good practice, we can offer projects such as Children at the Start or Trainers at School, which have been running throughout the Czech Republic for many years ," says Jana Havrdová, vice-president of the Czech Chamber of Commerce and chairwoman of the Aktivní ČESKO Foundation , adding that another opportunity cooperation will include the 2nd year of the Active September campaign, the individual areas of implementation of which will be presented at the Active ČESKO conference on 15 May 2024 in the main hall of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic .
In addition to the Ministry of Education and the Czech School Inspectorate, VICTORIA University Sports Center of the Ministry of Education and Culture, the National Pedagogical Institute of the Czech Republic, the National Sports Agency and , the faculties of physical education and, last but not least, the schools themselves and their founders.