Assessment of Physical Education Activities in Government Nursery Schools in Ondo State

Physical activity in early childhood is essential for motor development, physical health, and cognitive function, and assessing the adequacy of physical education provision in government nursery schools in South West Nigeria provides evidence for practice improvement in Ondo State. This study assessed the adequacy of physical education activities in government nursery schools in Akure North, Akure South, and Ondo Local Government Areas, Ondo State. A descriptive survey design was employed, with observation checklists applied during 25 physical activity sessions across 20 schools and questionnaires administered to 40 nursery teachers. Dimensions assessed included daily physical activity time, variety of activities, outdoor space availability, equipment provision, and teacher facilitation competence. Results showed that daily structured physical activity fell below the recommended 60 minutes in 80 percent of schools. Equipment for physical activity was inadequate or absent in 65 percent. Outdoor space was available but underutilised in 55 percent of schools. Only 25 percent of teachers had received any training in early childhood physical education facilitation. The range of activities observed was narrow, predominantly limited to marching and clapping. The study concludes that physical education provision in Ondo State government nursery schools is significantly below recommended levels. Recommendations include mandatory daily movement breaks, teacher training in motor development activities, school grounds improvement, and physical education inclusion as a formal assessment category in Ondo State ECDE inspection tools.

Keywords: physical education, government nursery schools, Ondo State, motor development, early childhood activity