The quality of PE classes in schools is not improving (the NIK audit of 2010 has confirmed it already). As a consequence, children's interest in sports education is falling. In school years 2009/10-2011/2012, their absence from PE classes was: 10 percent in primary schools, 13 percent in lower secondary schools and 17 percent in upper secondary schools. As the practice shows, however, the percentage of schoolers who do not attend PE classes at all or do not take active part in them is much higher. The reasons usually include medical certificates, parents' notes or the lack of gym outfit. In school year 2012/2013, NIK had a closer look for one week at PE classes in selected schools. It turned out that 15 percent of children from the grades 4 to 6, 23 percent from lower secondary schools and 17 percent from upper secondary schools did not take active part in these classes. As the key reasons for avoiding physical education classes the children and youth mentioned health (35 percent) and unattractive way of conducting classes (31 percent).
The NIK audit results show that schools cannot create an interesting curriculum for children attending them. In the opinion of students, teachers show too much preference for team games (28 percent) and gymnastics (20 percent). On the other hand, activities such as jogging, dance, aerobics, skating, swimming , skiing or active tourism - which the youth finds attractive - represent only a small percentage of PE classes. Besides, the school children have limited opportunities to choose the exercise type. Such solutions are implemented only in three primary schools in grades 4 to 6 (15 percent of audited schools), less than a half of lower secondary schools (44 percent) and two upper secondary schools (9 percent). No wonder that 25 percent of surveyed students and parents stated that PE classes do not make children more fit.
Physical education classes are often still being conducted in conditions which do not guarantee full safety to school children. This issue pertained to nearly 20 percent of schools audited by NIK. The inspectors confirmed there poor technical state of sports facilities and devices as well as the absence of required equipment attestation or certificates. It is also alarming that one fifth of teachers have not completed the first-aid training.
According to NIK, schools do not coordinate health education. A frequent issue is that the school principal does not cooperate with the school nurse. It is a big concern considering the data of the Health Ministry which reveal that about 330 thousand students attending PE classes have a curved spine and more than 120 thousand suffer from overweight or obesity (in total it makes up about 10 percent of all students). Despite alarming figures in more than a half of audited schools, the principals did not organise corrective gymnastics classes or any other comprehensive health-promoting activities that would include sport.
Implementation of the PE core curriculum by the Ministry of National Education (MNE) from school year 2009/2010 gave a hope for a better sports education in Poland (in grade 1 of primary school and lower secondary school to start with). The emphasis was laid on students' skills and competencies as well as on the health education. NIK stands in the position that MNE correctly drafted the core curriculum as such. Though, the Ministry did not properly prepare 52 thousand PE teachers for the reform. Most of them got familiar with the new curriculum on their own or at the Teachers Board meetings.
The majority of audited schools neither defined educational requirements to help teachers evaluate the children's skill development progress nor specified criteria for assessing student's involvement in PE classes. In nearly 80 percent of schools the measures taken to make work with students more individual (considering their physical and mental capacity) were insufficient.
The Supreme Audit Office positively evaluated activities of the Ministry of Sport and Tourism (MST) for physical education development. From 2007 to 2012, MST provided additional financing to build 3445 sports facilities and sports fields, including among others: 2604 local playgrounds, 534 gyms, 82 indoor swimming pools and 119 ice rinks.
