PE college back on the agenda

18/10/1998

THE idea of a Physical Education College was mooted back in 1993 following
which numerous discussions were held and working papers produced.
However, the idea still remained an idea.
Now, with the Cabinet giving their approval for Malaysia to bid for the
2008 Olympics and a string of important assignments in between, the idea
is being given fresh attention.
"The International Islamic University will shift to Gombak by the end of
the year and the plan is to convert the present campus in Petaling Jaya to
a Physical Education College," said Deputy Education Minister Datuk Khalid
Yunus.
The move could not have come at a better time because school sports have
been receiving the raw end of the deal for such a long time that there
seems to be no continuity in the supply of athletes with decent enough
standards to don national colours.
One reason behind this is because teachers lack the time and basic
training in sport to encourage students.
Not only don't we have world class athletes but we also lack coaches and
trainers.
Which meant that when we won the bid to host the 1998 Commonwealth
Games, the National Sports Council (NSC) had to hire foreigners expertise,
which did not come cheap, to prepare the athletes.
The 2008 Olympics may seem to be 10 long years away but this is barely
enough time for the authorities to train a batch of coaches who can help
produce a new set of athletes to serve us for the future.
"The PE College is being set up primarily to satisfy the need of
teachers who can form a strong base in schools and priority will be given
to those interested in sports and those who studied at the country's two
sports schools - the Bukit Jalil and Bandar Penawar Sports Schools.
"Academic excellence will be secondary to sports in selecting candidates
for the college because it would offer special Sports Science courses
centred on physical health education and so we will need people who are
dedicated to sport."
Special training in specific sports will also form part of the syllabus,
in line with the present call to limit the scope of development to a
handful of proven sports at international level like racquet sports and
tenpin bowling.
As a further boost, Education Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
announced recently that health education will be taught separately from
physical education in all schools beginning next year.
Physical education is also one of the compulsory subjects for the open
certificate system to be introduced for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysian in
the year 2000.
Getting seven-year-olds to jump rope, play tag and listen to tips on
healthy eating will go a long way in lifting the standard of sport in the
country.
"There are plans to allow officials who have served associations for
years to get academic qualifications at the college. These are still at a
discussion stage only and we are still open to suggestions," said Khalid.
The Ministry has also instructed the Teachers Training Division and the
School Co-curriculum Centre to identify and draw up the structure of the
courses for the college to produce teachers who are also specialists in
certain sports. Graduates of the college can then further their studies in
the local universities after getting their diplomas.
A single PE college will not be sufficient to produce a steady flow of
coaches. It has been suggested colleges be set up in every State and also
to bring the Education and Sports Ministries together.
Sponsors are also expected to take a positive step towards junior
development for without success at junior level there would be no success
at senior level.
NSC are now in the midst of preparing a blueprint for the 2008 Olympics
and although the hiring of foreign coaches cannot be ruled out, local
coaches who have shown promise should be given special attention.
"Some sports still lack qualified coaches. We have to keep hiring
foreigners in gymnastics, weightlifting and diving. The NSC would also
like to see locals play a bigger part and we have plans for this," said
NSC director-general Datuk Mazlan Ahmad.
The Malaysian Hockey Federation have taken the first step by naming
Stephen van Huizen to replace Volker Knapp as the coach of the national
team.
(END)