Prof. Dr. Emeritus Ian CULPAN (Chair)
Co-Director, New Zealand Centre for Olympic Studies
University of Canterbury
New Zealand
Emeritus Prof. Ian Culpan is the Co-Director of the New Zealand Centre for Olympic Studies and the former Head of the School of Sport and Physical Education (PE) at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. He has been a visiting professor at Charles University,Czech Republic, the German Sport University of Cologne, Germany; University of Peloponnese, Greece and Kristainstad University, Sweden. His research interests are in physical education/teacher education (PETE), Curriculum Development, PE Pedagogy, Olympism and its pedagogy, Wellbeing and the social and educative value of PE and sport. He is known internationally where his research is published widely. He has led and directed many national initiatives in: PE, including national curriculum and qualifications development, and Olympic related matters. Professor Culpan served three years as the vice-president of Physical Education New Zealand (PENZ). He has been the national Journal Editor and is on the editorial board of 5 international journals. He is the immediate Past President of the New Zealand Olympic Academy, is the immediate past President (Oceania) for the Federation Internationale d'Education Physique (FIEP) and is a executive board member for the Global Foundation for Community Health and senior advisor for the Global Forum for Physical Education Pedagogy and the Asian Council of Exercise and Sport Science. Professor Culpan has twice been awarded the International Olympic Committee Trophy for Education and Sport (2000 & 2013) He was the 7th person to be awarded the Sir Alexander Gillies Medal for PE in NZ (2001) and is a Life Member and National Fellow of PENZ. For four years he co-coordinated the New Zealand All Blacks Leadership Training Programme and has been an education consultant for several multi-national corporations. Professor Culpan has served on UNESCO’s 2013 expert advisory group for developing Global Policy on Quality PE and is a Trustee of the National Sports Museum of New Zealand.
The Case for Physical Education’s Future: Critical in Human Development
Physical Education seems to be under constant pressure as many education policies across the globe focus on the necessity for economic productivity. Human development arguably is pushed aside as the political impetus for school subjects that more overtly support the political economy of the State are given priority. Internationally, common questions are being asked of PE’s educative and social worth. What is certain for PE is, political decision makers are looking for clear and coherent evidence of the specific contributions that PE can make to the education of young people for the political economy of the State to thrive. To ensure that PE is part and parcel of a young person’s education, the focus needs to shift to the critical role PE plays in human development. No longer is the single focus on physical skill for game playing acceptable justifications for PE. Evidence based arguments and contributions to human development from a holistic sense where physical, social, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions are integrated into coherent programs are urgently needed. Indeed, UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goals (2017) (three and four) and the International Charter for Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport (2015) provide a useful platform for such arguments to be developed. However, these arguments need to be contextualised, developed, alongside significant re-thinking of current practices. The gathering global focus on wellbeing, particularly post COVID presents PE with an opportunity to realign itself to better serve the needs of young people. Changes will need to be future orientated, collaborative, and multidisciplinary. This will necessitate re-conceptualisations of the subject and compel visionary thinking. This presentation wills exam possibilities for new directions and draw on some present attempts to plot a reformed future.