This curriculum policy replaces The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1–8: Health and Physical Education, Interim Edition, re-issued in 2018. All health and physical education programs for Grades 1–8 are now based on the expectations outlined in this curriculum policy.
Vision and Goals
The 2019 health and physical education curriculum includes updated expectations in a number of areas, including mental health. Opportunities to learn about mental health are enhanced through the inclusion of new expectations on mental health literacy; new expectations on social-emotional learning skills, to be taught in connection with all parts of the curriculum; and enhanced connections to mental health within existing curriculum expectations.
Vision and Goals of the Health and Physical Education Curriculum
| The health and physical education curriculum is based on the vision that the knowledge and skills students acquire in the program will benefit them throughout their lives and enable them to thrive in an ever-changing world by helping them develop mental health and well-being, physical and health literacy, and the comprehension, capacity, and commitment they will need to lead healthy, active lives and promote healthy, active living. |
The goals of the health and physical education program are as follows.
Students will develop:
- the social-emotional learning skills needed to foster overall health and well-being, positive mental health, and the ability to learn, build resilience, and thrive;
- the skills and knowledge that will enable them to enjoy being active and healthy throughout their lives, through opportunities to participate regularly and safely in physical activity and to learn how to develop and improve their own personal fitness;
- the movement competence needed to participate in a range of physical activities, through opportunities to develop movement skills and to apply movement concepts and strategies in games, sports, dance, and various other physical activities;
- an understanding of the factors that contribute to healthy development, a sense of personal responsibility for lifelong health, and an understanding of how living healthy, active lives is connected with the world around them and the health of others.
The knowledge and skills acquired in health education and physical education form an integrated whole that relates to the everyday experiences of students and provides them with the physical literacy and health literacy they need to lead healthy, active lives.
| Physical Literacy Individuals who are physically literate move with competence and confidence in a wide variety of physical activities in multiple environments that benefit the healthy development of the whole person.
Physical and Health Education Canada Health Literacy Irving Rootman and Deborah Gordon-El-Bihbety, A Vision for a |
