Health and physical education – navigating the chasm of policy, practices and management to enact the intended curriculum and meet the needs of 21st century learners

The learning area of Health and Physical Education is marginalised and compromised through policies that result in low numbers of Health and Physical Education specialists being employed in schools; negative perceptions and misconceptions about the learning area; lack of professional respect and professional development and misguided pedagogy that fails to engage the 21st Century learner. This qualitative research examines the barriers to delivering the Health and Physical Education (HPE) learning entitlement and the disconnect between recommendations of curriculum developers and educational authorities, with how the curriculum is actually implemented and enacted in schools