The three-legged race: A history of Physical Education, School Sport, and Health Education in New South Wales public schools from 1880 to 2012. Michelle Gorzanelli Faculty of Arts and Social Science University of Sydney 2018 A thesis submitted to fulfil requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) I certify that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work and that all the assistance received in preparing this thesis and sources have been acknowledged. Michelle Gorzanelli Acknowledgements Completion of this doctoral thesis was possible with the support of several people. Most significantly, this feat was possible because of the unconditional support provided by David Baxter, who always made himself available to clarify my thought process and offer guidance that extended this PhD into my professional development and career progression. My manager Associate Professor Kathie Ardzejewska was also very supportive in terms of my personal welfare, and development as an academic. Ben Kooyman was kind enough to undertake the editing work and I acknowledge his meticulous work and attention to detail. I am very much grateful to Mum, Dad, my sister Bec, and my husband Sean for encouraging and believing in me every step of the way. Without their support I would not have been able to manage study along with my everyday life. Sean was understanding and patient during the tough times and stayed by my side. To my little and beautiful soul, Kaden, you have been on this journey without even knowing it and my love for you kept me motivated and dedicated to making sure this achievement came true. “Mummy, you finished work now?” Yes, my favourite boy, I have! Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................... 1 Abbreviations ................................................................................................................. 4 Glossary of key terms .................................................................................................... 6 Term ........................................................................................................................... 6 Operational definition ................................................................................................ 6 Chapter One: Introduction ........................................................................................... 12 1.1 The research questions ....................................................................................... 12 1.1.1 Research Question 1 (RQ1): ........................................................................ 12 1.1.2 Research Question 2 (RQ2): ........................................................................ 13 1.2 Background to the fields of a history of education and the three subjects ......... 13 1.3 A social constructivist perspective to curriculum .............................................. 17 1.4 A rationale for the study’sparameters of the NSW education system ............... 20 1.5 Structure of the thesis ......................................................................................... 22 Chapter Two: Literature review ................................................................................... 24 2.1 Theoretical framework: Curriculum history ...................................................... 24 2.2 Physical Education (PE) ..................................................................................... 28 2.3 School Sport (SS) ............................................................................................... 36 2.4 Health Education (HE) ....................................................................................... 41 2.5 The relationships and status of the subjects ....................................................... 45 Chapter Three: Methodology ....................................................................................... 49 3.1 A history of education methodology .................................................................. 49 3.2 The relevance of the ‘theory’ of curriculum history to history of education methodology ............................................................................................................. 51 3.3 The ‘practice’ of history of education methodology .......................................... 52 3.3.1 Documentary research ................................................................................. 52 3.4 Analytical procedure of documentary research .................................................. 61 3.5 Limitations to the study ...................................................................................... 63 Chapter Four: The history of Physical Education (1880–1989) .................................. 68 4.1 Traditional Military Drill and progressive expressions (1880–1919) ................ 68 4.1.1 Traditional Military Drill in NSW public schools. ................................ 69 4.1.2 Physical Culture ........................................................................................... 71 4.1.3 The Swedish System of Gymnastics. .......................................................... 77 4.1.4 Junior Cadet Training (JCT) scheme ........................................................... 82 4.2 Eugenic ideals promoting PE (1920–1949) ....................................................... 88 4.2.1 The eugenic responsibility of PE ................................................................. 90 4.2.2 The National Fitness movement .................................................................. 92 4.3 The pinnacle of PE (1950–1989) ..................................................................... 107 4.3.1 The consolidation of PE in the curriculum ................................................ 108 4.3.2 The neo-progressive approach to PE ......................................................... 117 4.4 Conclusion: Historical developments in PE (1880–1989) ............................... 122 Chapter Five: The history of School Sport (SS) (1880–1989) .................................. 124 5.1 The inauguration of the School Sport traditions of the NSW public school system (1880–1919) ............................................................................................... 125 5.1.1 The founding of governing bodies to organise SS .................................... 125 5.1.2 School Sport as ‘extra-curricular’ athletic carnivals ................................. 137 5.1.3 The inclusion of SS as part of the school day ........................................... 142 5.2 The consolidation of SS in the curriculum (1920–1956) ................................. 146 5.2.1 The value of SS to eugenic ideals .............................................................. 147 5.2.2 The strong imperative for sport in formal curriculum ............................... 151 5.3 The ‘golden years’ of SS (1957–1989) ............................................................ 157 5.3.1 Sport and the Wyndham Report (1957) ..................................................... 158 5.3.2 Sport and cultural identity ......................................................................... 161 5.3.3 The ‘sports for all’ approach ..................................................................... 166 5.4 Conclusion: Historical developments in SS (1880–1989) ............................... 169 Chapter Six: The history of Health Education (HE) (1880–1989) ............................ 171 6.1 Hygiene Education (1880–1919) ..................................................................... 171 6.1.1 The issue of hygiene and the role of schools ............................................. 172 6.1.2 A course in Hygiene at teacher-training colleges ...................................... 175 6.1.3 The School Medical Service and Inspection Scheme ................................ 178 6.2 Sex Education (1920–1945) ............................................................................. 181 6.2.1 The imperative of social purity .................................................................. 181 6.2.2 Eugenic preoccupations with racial betterment ......................................... 183 6.3 The gradual realisation of the importance of HE (1946–1989) ....................... 187 6.3.1 The establishment of formal curriculum for ‘Health Education’ ......... 188 6.3.2 Public health and the emergence of a youth culture disrupting social order .................................................................................................................... 194 6.3.3 AIDS Education ......................................................................................... 209 6.3.4 The shift in the role of Health Educators ................................................... 212 6.4 Conclusion: Historical developments in Health Education (1880–1989) ........ 215 Chapter Seven: The establishment of the KLA of PDHPE (1990–2012) ........ 217 7.1 The factors leading to the formation of KLAs and PDHPE ............................. 217 7.1.1 National and state educational reforms ..................................................... 217 7.1.2 The establishment of the KLA of PDHPE in NSW................................... 219 7.1.3 The political and social reasons for the nature of PDHPE curriculum ...... 221 7.2 The exponential growth and prominence of HE .............................................. 225 7.2.1 The health-related approach to PE and the public