The Bunkeflo Project - for a healthy way of living
Physical Education has been made a daily compulsory subject for all pupils starting school since 1999 on Ängslättskolan in Bunkeflostrand, Malmö. Ängslättskolan is the first school in Sweden to put physical activity on the schedule one lesson every day. The goal is to have one activity daily for all pupils in school year 1 - 9.
When starting school all pupils take part in motor skill observations made by the school nurse and the children's teachers. The aim is to find children with any motor skill problems or difficulties in order to give them help and to stimulate their motor skill development. Children who need extra motor training is offered to come and practise with the PE teacher in a smaller group one hour per week as long as they need it. This means that some pupils have physical activities on the schedule six times per week in the Bunkeflo project.
The increase in physical activity is organised by the teachers and by trainers from different sport organisations, where Bunkeflo IF has most of the responsibility. One of the most important goals with the intervention is that the pupils are motivated and experience the joy in physical activity.
The intervention also hopefully will make the children's parents and other citizens in the area more active in their daily living. The aim is to get stronger skeleton, better motor skills and physical condition for all people. The project will also hopefully get people to learn about the importance of healthy food and decrease the use of drugs. With better motor skills the pupils hopefully will improve in self-esteem, attention ability and social qualities.
The Bunkeflo Project also involves different research studies. The hospital in Malmö MAS measures skeleton of all pupils every year. The hypothesis is prevention of osteoporosis through more exercise in early years.
Malmö University studies the importance of motor skills for attention ability, self-esteem and school results. Motor skill observations are made every year until school year 3 to study motor skill development in relation to physical activity in school. How children with difficulties in motor skills and attention are affected by the intervention is being studied with special interest.
Other research questions in the project are how children with different kinds of allergies, DAMP and ADHD are affected by the intervention and if the condition of the teeth and mouth health is affected by the school's work for better health.
The parents are important in the project. A special group of parents work to engage all parents in the healthy activities in the project and also to arrange different activities for all citizens in the area.
The school is the community's most important arena for healthy work. During school years all children can be reached and affected in a positive way and learn healthy habits for a life long healthy life. The school takes it's part of responsibility but in order to succeed everybody must take part and engage themselves. The most important goal in the Bunkeflo Project is the support from the community and the teachers in the pupils´ development to good physical, psychological and social health.
Ingegerd Ericsson
Malmö University