Leisure education and the role of schools: Planning and implementation in times of change

Abstract

Leisure education, be it process, content, context, or a combination of all, is significant for enhancing the quality of life of individuals and societies. As major socialization agents for children and adolescents, schools have been advocated to undertake the role of leisure educators. Despite this advocacy, aspects related to leisure education are often marginalized within the school curriculum. While initial calls were made for leisure education in schools in the West, its implementation has been hindered by the priority given to the study of literacy and numeracy and the emphasis on preparation for the world of work. At the same time, recent developments in educational systems in non-Western contexts have been paving the way for schools to educate for leisure as part of their curricula. These include a growing emphasis on whole person development, life wide and lifelong learning. The present paper depicts these trends and examines how and to what extent leisure education is practised in times of educational and curriculum changes. Examples are provided from a recent study undertaken by the author on secondary school students in Hong Kong which explored the different ways in which schools educate for leisure. Implications are drawn for ways to utilize the reformed school system for further enhancement of leisure education in schools.

Keywords: Leisure education, schools, educational change, leisure curriculum, pedagogy, educational reform, leisure educators.