Physical Education Of Children: An Islamic Perspective And Challenges Faced By Muslim Girls In Adelaide

Abstract

Physical education is crucial for mental, physical and social development of the children. There are numerous benefits attached to it both from Islamic and conventional aspects. It is an essential component of the national curriculum of many countries across the globe. Researches in Muslim and Western world indicate that Muslim girls around the world face challenges in school based physical education lessons. Due to the increasing Muslim population in Australia, there is a need to identify these problems. The aim of the current study is, to discuss the importance of physical fitness in the light of sunnah of the Prophet and to explore the challenges in physical education lessons, barriers to participation and parental concerns of school going Muslim girls in Adelaide, South Australia. Based on the findings of previous studies, it aims to ask: Do Muslim girls of Adelaide have equal opportunities of physical education? What proportion of Muslim girls actively participate in sports and physical education lessons at school? What are barriers to participation? An online self-administered survey questionnaire was used for the collection of data. Data was gathered using the snowball sampling technique from the Muslim population based in Adelaide. A total of 72 respondents (31 parents and 41 students) were surveyed and feedback was received from both open-ended and closed-ended questions. Analysis of the responses demonstrated that majority of girls actively participate in sports and physical education lessons at schools. They have equal opportunities to access physical education and sports as compared to non-Muslim girls. Results further indicate that parents are satisfied with sports and physical activities administered in Adelaide schools. No significant issues have been discovered regarding uniform and dress code. The schools’ administration is supportive and respect Muslims’ religious and cultural needs. However, some issues that have some impact on girls’ sports participation were highlighted. These include non-segregated sessions and the lack of female instructors. It is believed that these issues act as barrier to Muslim participation and removal of these obstructions can further increase participation rate. On the basis of these findings, it is recommended that all public and private schools promote gender segregation in their physical education lessons and provide female instructors for Muslim girls. Future research is needed on a larger scale to identify other factors that might affect Muslim girls’ participation in sports.