Health and physical education (HPE): Implementation in primary schools

• Surveys were completed by 138 principal participants.
• Key finding was that principals strongly desire to have specialist HPE teachers.
• HPE specialist teachers who are interested in teaching primary aged children.
• Who are able, willing and qualified to teach as generalist classroom teachers.
• Formal training of teachers, a concern in the 1992 Senate Inquiry, remained.

This research investigates Australian Government Primary School Principal perceptions of how health and physical education (HPE) is implemented. Principals of primary schools in the state of Victoria (Australia) were deliberately chosen as participants as they are key school leaders who have a high degree of autonomy and power to improve the quality of teaching. The Victorian state Government Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) first listed outcome for children 0–8 years is: ‘children have the best start to life to achieve optimal health, development and wellbeing’. Hence, this research offers pertinent results and recommendations in achieving this outcome. The data were gathered using ex-post facto surveys completed by 138 principal participants from a cross section of schools. The key findings were that principals: (1) strongly desire to have specialist HPE teachers in their schools; and (2) want HPE specialist teachers who are interested in and want to be working with primary aged children. Furthermore, there was strong interest in HPE specialists who are able, willing and qualified to teach as generalist classroom teachers.