OLYMPISM: EDUCATION AND 2012 The second of a series of three Gresham lectures, in the run-up to the London Olympic Games 2012, that will consider the ethical and political values of the Olympic Movement, and their educational application. Prof Dr Jim Parry Charles University in Prague

'Olympic' - the Olympic Games, ancient or modern. a two-week festival of sport held once in every four years between elite athletes representing their countries or city-states in inter-communal competition.

'Olympiad' a four-year period, during which a Games may or may not be held. so: the London Games are properly referred to not as the XXX Games (since there have been only twenty-seven, three having been cancelled due to World Wars) but as the Games of the XXX Olympiad.

'Olympism' not just the elite athlete, but everyone not just a short truce period, but the whole of life not just competition and winning, but also the values of participation and co- operation not just sport as an activity, but also as a formative and developmental influence

'Olympism' a universal social philosophy which emphasises the role of sport: in world development international understanding peaceful co-existence social and moral education.

THE OLYMPIC CHARTER - OM THE OLYMPIC CHARTER - OM The section on the Olympic Movement (p. 13) declares: “The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practised in accordance with Olympism and its values.”

THE OLYMPIC CHARTER - IOC The section on the IOC (p. 14) begins: “The mission of the IOC is to promote Olympism throughout the world and to lead the Olympic Movement.”

THE OLYMPIC CHARTER - IFs The section on the IFs acknowledges their role in regulating and developing sport, and then declares their responsibility to: “contribute to the achievement of the goals set out in the Olympic Charter, in particular by way of the spread of Olympism and Olympic education

Rhetoric and Reality So the official rhetoric is at pains to prioritise and emphasise the ethical and educational basis of the Olympic Movement, and exhorts all responsible authorities to take practical steps to realise its vision and mission So the official rhetoric is at pains to prioritise and emphasise the ethical and educational basis of the Olympic Movement, and exhorts all responsible authorities to take practical steps to realise its vision and mission. Our question: How successful has London 2012 been in developing Olympic Education in the UK?

Concept of Sport physical (effort) physical (effort) not chess contest (‘contract to contest’ - competition contest (‘contract to contest’ - competition not mountaineering and excellence) not mountaineering and excellence) rule-governed (fair play, equality and justice) rule-governed (fair play, equality and justice) not field sports institutionalised (‘lawful authority’) institutionalised (‘lawful authority’) not hula-hooping shared values and commitments (respect) shared values and commitments (respect)

Concept of Sport De Coubertin distinguished: World Championship vs Olympic Sport Sport Sport Fair vs Temple (Agora, Market-place) He said: you can’t have it both ways!

Ethical Competition Examples: 1. Why public panics about sportsdope? 2. Gambling - the new doping? 3. Amateurism - the idea that extrinsic goals are liable to deflect us from our ethical trajectory.

Education 'giving information about' or 'instruction in' some specifics ‘giving advice about’ (e.g. anti-doping) In contrast to a more general idea of education which sees it as the development of personal attributes and qualities.

Olympic Education 'giving information about' the structure of the Olympic Movement, and some of its ideals ‘giving instruction in’ how to conduct oneself as a volunteer how to prepare for post- competition work and life ‘giving advice about’ how to prepare for post- competition work and life

Possibilities for Action The example of others: Sydney 2000 – an excellent website Athens 2004 – national curriculum + 3,000 new PE teachers Beijing 2008 – a complete revision of the moral education curriculum IOC – the OVEP project

Possibilities for Action GBR in the past: A National Olympic Academy (cp. IOA) An Education Committee Engage with PE profession and curriculum Work with DfE Develop Olympic Study/Research Network Connect with ‘Culture’

Olympic Education in 2012 Structural Issue: LOCOG and BOA ‘Get Set’ website PodiumInspire Olympic Study Centre at Loughborough (co-administered by the BOA)

2012 Legacy ‘Legacy’ is code for urban infrastructural change ‘Sports legacy’ is often code for sports infrastructure – sometimes means increased sports participation But what about an ‘Olympic’ legacy?

an ‘Olympic’ legacy? A A n ‘Olympic’ legacy would mean: Re-conceptualising and re-vitalising PE Re-engineering the role of PE and sport in schools and communities Reconsidering the role of PE, sport and other practical and cultural pursuits in the life of a pupil Re-focussing and re-theorising possibilities for moral education

Olympism and PE teachers (a) to further their traditional concern for the whole child whilst working at the levels both of activity and of ideas (b) to show coherence between approaches to practical and theoretical work (c)to explore in upper years ideas implicit in work in lower years