Curriculum for physical education

Laid down as a regulation by the Ministry of Education and Research on 13 June 2012.

Applicable from: 01.08.2012

Purpose

Physical education as a general study subject shall inspire physical activity in all aspects of life and inspire lifelong enjoyment of being physical active. Physical activity is important for everyone as this fosters good health. The physical activity culture, such as play, sports, dance and outdoor life is part of how we establish our identity in society and what we have in common. The subject shall stimulate physical use of the body to enhance individual sensing, experiencing, learning and creating. The social aspects of physical activities mean that physical education is important for promoting fair play and respect for one another.

Teaching in the subject shall contribute to helping the pupils experience joy, inspiration and a sense of mastery by being physically active and by interacting with others. The subject shall also contribute to helping children and young people develop a sense of self awareness, a positive perception of the body and their own developing identity. It shall help pupils understand the ideas of an ideal body and healthy physical activity, which can influence their sense of self and ideas about health, nutrition, training and lifestyle. Pupils shall learn to understand how their own efforts can help them reach their goals, and what factors can motivate activity and training.

Pupils shall develop competence through a wide selection of play and different kinds of activities, develop versatility and learn to value exercise and visiting to nature. The subject shall help pupils acquire knowledge about exercise and training, lifestyle and health, and motivate them to have an active life and continue physical training into adulthood. The subject shall provide pupils with physical challenges and the courage to test their own limits during spontaneous and organized activities. Learning in the subject of Physical Education shall attend to traditional and alternative physical activities in the subject and stimulate experimentation and creative development. Key elements of the subject are movement and play, versatile sports, fair play, dance and outdoor life.

Learning in the subject shall provide pupils with a point of departure for lifelong enjoyment of physical activity and a sense of mastery based on own skills and ability levels. This subject is assessed using a special scheme that includes evaluating pupil effort as a part of basic subject assessment. Many of the competence aims for the subject take the pupils' own physical limitations and skills levels into consideration for assessment.

Main subject areas

The subject has been structured into main subject areas for which competence aims have been formulated. The main subject areas complement each other, and should be viewed in relation to one another.

Physical education is a common core subject for all the education programmes in upper secondary education. Learning in this subject shall therefore be as relevant as possible by adapting each subject to its education programme, as much as possible.

Physical education has competence aims after the fourth, seventh and tenth year levels in primary and lower secondary school and after Vg1, Vg2 and Vg3 in upper secondary education.

Overview of the main subject areas:

Year Level	The main subject area
1–4	Physical activity in various environments and settings
5–7	Sports activities	Outdoor life
8–10	Sports activities	Outdoor life	Exercise and lifestyle
Vg1 – Vg3	Sports activities	Outdoor life	Exercise and lifestyle

Physical activity in various environments and settings

The main subject area Physical Activity in Various Environments and Settings covers development and automation of natural basic movements in different indoor and outdoor environments. Organized activities and spontaneous play in varied environments are key elements in the subject. The main subject area also includes basic knowledge about the body and personal hygiene.

Sports activities

The main subject area Sports Activities covers a wide selection of sports, dance and alternative physical activities. Emphasis is placed on movement, play and creative activities that are adapted to the skill levels and aptitudes of each pupil. The selection will vary according to local conditions and individual interests. Participating and performing dances created by the individual and those from other cultures, including youth cultures, are integrated into the subject. Organized activities, free activities and experimentation are key elements in this main subject area. Fair play and common rules for participation are important parts of the subject. The concept of fair play involves showing respect for one another in different activities. Interaction and working together are key elements of this concept.

Outdoor life

The main subject area Outdoor Life covers competence and skills needed to do things safely in nature and see the value of visiting natural environments. Attention must be paid to local outdoor traditions, using the local environment and how to orient and conduct oneself in nature during the different seasons.

Exercise and lifestyle

The main subject area Exercise and Lifestyle focuses on various activities and how training and exercise can influence one's health. The relationship between physical activity and lifestyle based on individual interests and mastery are important topics in this area. The main subject area focuses on the knowledge, experience and reflection required to carry out various types of exercise and self-training as the basis for an active lifestyle and taking one's own and others skills levels and aptitudes into consideration. Other important topics are how to undertake health-promoting activities and work in an ergonomically correct way.

Teaching hours

Teaching hours are given in 60-minute units:

Primary school

Year levels 1–7: 478 hours

Lower secondary school

Year levels 8–10: 223 hours

PROGRAMMES FOR GENERAL STUDIES, EXCEPT FOR

THE PROGRAMME FOR MUSIC, DANCE AND DRAMA

Vg1: 56 hours

Vg2: 56 hours

Vg3: 56 hours

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMES

Vg1: 56 hours

Vg2: 56 hours

Basic skills

The basic skills are integrated in the competence aims where they contribute to development of the competence in the subject, while also being part of this competence. In Physical Education, the basic skills are understood as follows:

Oral skills in Physical Education involve creating meaning by listening, speaking and in conversation. This involves being able to present impressions from and perceptions of various physical activities. Expressing oneself orally is necessary when deciding on rules for play, various types of games and other kinds of interaction. It means being able to listen to others, respond to others and be aware of the person to whom one is speaking. The ability to communicate orally is also necessary when one is going to organize activities.

Being able to write in Physical Education deals primarily with written presentations about activities and assessing these. This skill becomes more relevant at higher year levels.

Being able to read in the Physical Education involves being able to find, interpret and understand information from specific texts dealing with the subject. This provides the basis for assessing important aspects of the subject's activities. This also includes interpreting maps and understanding symbols.

Numeracy in Physical Education means being able to measure lengths, times and forces. Understanding what these figures tell us is necessary when planning and carrying out training activities.

Digital literacy in Physical Education involves being able to use digital tools, different media and resources in a suitable and correct manner to solve practical tasks. This involves gathering and organizing information to plan and carry out activities and training, and communicating and documenting these.