Sustainable development star ts with safe, healthy, well-educated children. Par ticipation in qualit y physical education (QPE), as par t of a rounded syllabus, enhances young peoples' civic engagement, decreases violence and negative pat terns of behaviour, and improves health awareness. Despite evidence highlighting the impor tance of QPE to child development, the world is witnessing a global decline in its delivery and a parallel rise in deaths associated with physical inactivit y.

This evidence-based policy brief presents the benefits of investing in inclusive quality physical education (QPE) policy development. Content draws directly on findings from in-country interventions which demonstrate the value of inter-sectoral partnerships in QPE policy development and the delivery of low cost/high impact QPE programming which stands to accelerate post-COVID recovery efforts. A series of practical recommendations are included for public and private stakeholders in the sport-education ecosystem, alongside resources to support the implementation of recommendations.

The purpose of this project analysis is to identify lessons learned from the policy revision process as well as lessons to enhance the anticipated outcomes of physical education (PE) in future for the purpose of sharing these experiences with UNESCO Member States. The findings show that - besides specific results in the pilot countries, which also have implications for PE globally - the quality physical education (QPE) initiative was successful in bringing a policy focus to PE in other countries where other priorities have overshadowed the rightful place of PE in the curricula. In the opinion of the evaluators, therefore, the QPE project and the QPE policy guidelines have played a major role in advocating PE and ensuring that PE has been placed on the agenda of decision makers worldwide.

This toolkit offers general principles for successful policy advocacy that can be adapted based on what best suits your national context and specific policy development processes. You will find sections presenting the value of youth engagement in policy development, tried and tested techniques to inspire impact-oriented advocacy strategies and practical checklists to navigate physical education (PE) policy development processes.

This joint UNESCO-NWCPEA Project comprised a World-wide physical education survey to inform the development of benchmark indicators on Quality Physical Education (QPE) in schools and Quality Physical Education Teacher Education/Training (QPETE/T) in provider institutions as well as principles of a physical education basic needs model. The survey adopted a multi-method/pluralistic approach to data generation from a range of sources including a specifically designed structured survey questionnaire translated into officially used UNESCO and several other languages seeking quantitative and qualitative data, as well as information derived from recent and current international, continental regional and national physical education-related studies.

National Physical Education Standards, Fourth Edition, is the go-to book for all physical education teachers, providing the framework for creating curricula, designing lesson plans, and developing assessments. Created by SHAPE America – Society of Health and Physical Educators, the leading advocate for health and physical education, this text unveils the revised standards and new Grade-Span Learning Indicators, offers practical guidelines for implementation, and advances the idea that physical education means equity, access, and inclusion for all. The text has been designed so teachers can easily build relevant and developmentally appropriate learning experiences that engage all preK-12 learners. Incorporating the standards, the text creates a framework for physical educators to focus on the well-being of the whole person and their physical literacy journey. This latest edition reflects the following key shifts: Grade-Span Learning Indicators that replace grade-level outcomes Learning Progressions that offer sample sequential tasks to address a range of skill abilities The research in motor development that provided the foundation for restructuring the National PE Standards and Grade-Span Learning Indicators Expansion of the term physical literacy to reflect the developmental journey students experience through their time as physical education students National Physical Education Standards, Fourth Edition, begins by documenting the revisions process, including the research evidence that led to restructuring the previous standards. It clarifies the framework of the National PE Standards and the essential content of preK-12 physical education for key stakeholders (students, teachers, parents, curriculum directors, administrators, boards of education, and policy makers). The text concludes by providing physical educators with resources to assist in using the standards to guide instruction. Administrators and teachers can confidently use National Physical Education Standards, Fourth Edition, to create high-quality physical education programs that prepare students for a lifetime of healthful and meaningful physical activity.