Education, Movement, and the Rationality of Practical Knowledge

Curriculum models in physical education are rarely discussed in relation to the school curriculum as a whole. The purpose of this article is to examine the initiation view of education, which is essentially a knowledge-cum-ethicalaccount of education. It will be found that the type of knowledge prescribed is predominantly of a theoretical kind and as a consequence allows little or no room for physical pursuits. It is argued that this account of knowledge is limiting and reductionist, and that if rationality in a broader sense is to be a central concern of education, then practical knowledge in the form of such activities as sport and dance should form a necessary part of a balanced education.