Corporeal development and physical performance of 10 to 18 year old students

Abstract

To sum up, it can be determined that the physical performance of 10–18 year-old Hungarian students significantly improved in the last ten years. In this improvement, an undoubtedly significant role was played by the fact that in the early 1970's, the number of weekly physical education lessons and occasions for physical training increased from two to three. The curricular reform (1977–1979) that ran parallel with the increase in the number of lessons, laid stress upon the overall development of the students' physical abilities, assured greater freedom in the selection of the subject-matter and almost full freedom in methodology for physical instructors, while also enlarging the attainment of physical education objectives. In the improvement of performance, an indisputable role was played by the fact that students enter different school-types with a higher level of knowledge as a result of the above reasons. However, these improvements are not convincing in each case. This fact should be taken as a warning sign. Indications of unfavourable tendencies in the students' level of general education should be taken into account. The interest in physical effort and performance is decreasing.