Can the Unesco Award be a Facilitator to Change the Quality in After-School Programmes? - Visions for Future

In April 2021 the “common welfare oriented sports club culture” has been awarded by German UNESCO intangible cultural heritage (ICH). To maintain this award, there has to be a future vision for the immaterial cultural heritage in terms of inclusive, equal opportunity, high-quality education.

In Germany, sports clubs cooperate with (primary) schools in after-school programmes, often organized by the school (ASPO). However, offers of sports clubs are understood as offers for pastime and day-care, on the contrary, offers of other partner of cooperation are regarded as offers of education.

During Corona crises grassroots sports in Germany was forbidden and more than that, ASPO and PE were cancelled immediately, with consequences e.g. for common welfare and health. “Existing concepts no longer work!” (Pühse, oral comment Bratislava 2021). P.E. teachers experimented with homework, but failed. However, exercise instructors and coaches came up with new motivating ideas and sports clubs seem to take over the role of high-quality education. Can the UNESCO award be part of a creative change not only for sports club culture but also for ASPO and excessively so to understanding PE in its multi-perspective? Let´s finally consider it in a future workshop, based on scenario, which reflects the relevant developments.