Health committee  Through the after-school initiative, one of the key areas we're looking to influence is policy. We're looking at things like how we can reduce barriers such as cost and access. We're looking at how we can support schools and community facilities in a better sharing of their resources.

Health committee  That's an issue that Physical and Health Education Canada deals with all the time, as a national organization trying to influence education. When we look at statistics, like we have today, around physical inactivity and obesity, it becomes a health issue. We work closely with our provincial partners.

Health committee  The United Nations and the World Health Organization actually declare physical education a fundamental right for every child. So absolutely, there needs to be leadership, as well as a declaration in Canada to declare every child in this country should have access to a quality physical education program.

Health committee  To add to that, Physical and Health Education Canada put in the submission and, along with Own the Podium and the Canadian Olympic Committee, coined just that term, “playground to podium”, to show how physical literacy development early in youth plays into the evolution of youngsters to high-performance or physically active Canadians, so we can see that there is a correlation there.

Health committee  I can say that the main focus of our active after-school partnership, on which we are working with eight other national partners, is to ensure that we can integrate physical activity and healthy living as core aspects of the program. We're looking to influence policy, programs, knowledge awareness, and capacity-building among leaders so they can deliver programs that are true to physical activity and healthy living, as well as to create access to the resources and tools that are available to them.

Health committee  Yes, absolutely: primarily through the delivery of quality physical education delivered by qualified instructors. In every province in this country, we have excellent curricula from a physical education standpoint and from a health education standpoint. The problem is that there are issues in the delivery.

Health committee  Absolutely. Research shows that. In fact, in the Active Healthy Kids Canada report card two years ago, they focused on academic achievement, and many studies indicated that children who have access to daily physical education and physical activity learn better. Social cohesion was improved in school.

Health committee  I would support what Scott, Kelly, and Patrick have said in terms of the need to better balance the investment towards prevention, so that we're not seeing less than 1% spent on an area that's going to prevent the diseases to begin with.

Health committee  I missed the last part of that--sorry.

Health committee  Thank you, Madam Chair, for the opportunity to speak to you and your colleagues today. For the last 18 years I've spent my days trying to ensure that every child in this country can benefit from quality health and physical education programs within health-promoting school environments.

Health committee  That's a multifaceted question. On how we work with our provinces, we have a very strong council of provinces and territories. They are the deliverers into schools in all of the provinces. They look to us to develop national resources, programs, and supports that will help them within their provinces.

Health committee  No province is doing an exceptional job. On what the provinces have done really well, we have fantastic curricula in this country. I've heard a lot about how do you keep the fun in. The provinces have done very well in developing quality curricula that support children in developing a variety of skills.

Health committee  Is it the joint consortium or is it...?

Health committee  I don't recall, no.

Health committee  It's very piecemeal. It's a hard thing to measure, especially in physical education. In many provinces, it's a recommended time period, not a mandated one. Schools are not accountable for reporting what is being delivered in physical education.