Get moving

Education is definitely a point of concern that has to be addressed in South Africa … Learners’ grey matter shouldn’t be the only thing that gets sharpened, however, as a healthy body houses a healthy mind.

To assist with this important part of development, Continental Tyre South Africa (CTSA) is sponsoring the “Move It, Moving Matters” project. Developed and run by Iconage Holdings, the project delivers focused intervention to intermediate-phase learners to address the lack of physical education and training.

“The Move It, Moving Matters project offers a wonderful opportunity for the company to make a difference in our schools,” says Gishma Johnson, corporate communications manager at CTSA. “Especially in those that are in dire need of guidance and assistance to get their physical education programmes on track, as physical education is crucial for personal growth and the development of gross motor skills.”

The project’s founder, Dr Claire Nicholson, a former head of Physical Education, Sport and Human Movement Science at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, says that South African legislation requires every school-going child to have access to 90 minutes of physical activity per week within the prescribed school curriculum.

“However, many schools are under-resourced and very few teachers are qualified to facilitate this important area of growth and development,” she points out.

This programme has been designed to provide essential equipment along with specially developed teacher and learner manuals, which provide step-by-step guides for each movement session. This is complemented by regular training for educators to equip them with the necessary skills to run the project at their schools.

Nomakhwezi Msizi, head of department at Ben Sinuka Public School in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, says: “Through this programme we can ensure that our children receive regular and focused physical exercise to make them healthier and improve their overall learning ability.”

Currently Move It, Moving Matters has been introduced in 120 schools, seven of which are in New Brighton, with five of these sponsored by CTSA.