Physical Education has always played a significant role in supporting the curriculums vision for young people in the educational system, through guiding the pupils to become actively involved, confident and lifelong learners (Smith, 20). A key function of PE as a subject is to provide learners with the knowledge and ability to become physically educated children. It requires the learner to demonstrate competency in movement patters and motor skills which are necessary to perform a range of physical activities (The National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 2004). MacAllister (203) wrote an article aiming to obtain the definition of a physically educated person through examining the philosophies of other writers. He concluded by stating: A physically educated person is those who have learned to arrange their lives in such a way that physical activities they freely engage in make a distinctive contribution to their long-term flourishing.
Physical education as a subject goes further than just measuring physical streng
th, endurance etc., it also has a crucial role in the holistic development of individuals (Simms et al, 989). Hupfield (208) suggests that the holistic development is a practical approach to a comprehensive learning system. The main focus is on developing the child on a whole, such as physically, emotionally and socially. Taking a holistic approach supports in motivating and engaging learners to increase their knowledge in the subject, through allowing them to learn creatively and naturally (ScholarBase, 204). PE has the ability to help contribute to the holistic development of children by encouraging a healthy active lifestyle. Educating learners to maintain an active lifestyle will help contribute to developing physical, intellectual and emotional skills such as socialization, mental discipline and general self-esteem (Kaulback, 204). Additionally, the environment in which PE is taught in is likely to result in further development of essential characteristics including communication, discipline and determination (Lynch, 209).