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Sport

More than 1 in 5 children in Australia are overweight or obese. Regular physical activity is a major part of maintaining a healthy weight, and good health in general.

Schools develop their own programs to promote physical activity. Primary schools are required to fit physical activity into class time.

Many schools have specialist health and physical education teachers. Others use classroom teachers or people from the community.

The most common sports in Queensland schools are:

  • track and field
  • swimming
  • cross country
  • touch football
  • basketball
  • soccer.

Sporting programs

Sport in schools can consist of:

  • health and physical education (curriculum subject)
  • sport within the school
  • interschool sport programs.

Health and physical education (HPE)

This is a curriculum subject that helps students develop skills for participation in sport and other physical activity. It is often incorporated into school classroom time.

Sport within the school

Schools develop their own programs.

Contact your school to find what sports are offered.

Interschool sport

This is structured sporting competition between schools. It is organised within school districts.

Independent and catholic schools have their own interschool associations, for example the Queensland Girls' Secondary Schools Sports Association (QGSSSA) or Greater Public Schools (GPS) association.

The sports available in any area will depend on remoteness, staff resources and historical experience.

Contact your school to find what interschool sports are offered.

Representative sport

All schools can send students to district trials, and from there selected students go on to regional trials. Then they may be chosen to represent the region at state championships.

There are 12 regions in Queensland:

  • North West
  • Peninsula
  • Sunshine Coast
  • Metropolitan North
  • Metropolitan East
  • Metropolitan West
  • Northern
  • Capricornia
  • Darling Downs
  • South Coast
  • South West
  • Wide Bay.

Queensland School Sport coordinates regional programs for all of the school sport regions.

Read more about our national and state sports associations.

Community involvement

School sports often work with community organisations by sharing grounds and facilities. Community organisations also:

  • conduct sport and physical activity programs in schools
  • supply volunteers as officials and umpires
  • provide sponsorship to offset the cost of participation.

Parental permission

For extra-curricular activities that require students be away from the school, schools must have written parental consent for all students under 18.

If a student is under 18 and living independently, the consent form must be signed by the student and the principal.

Licence
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY 3.0)
Last updated
15 January 2013

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