Exploring the provision of Olympic education programmes in small states

Abstract

Olympic Education was initiated over sixty years ago with international literature revealing a persisting objective to propagate the Olympic values among youth. Yet, it is misconceived to be a mere historical review of the Olympic Games whilst critical reviews have also questioned whose interest is served through such programmes that are endorsed by the International Olympic Committee and run by most of the top sporting nations. By contrast, this dissertation investigates the current provision of Olympic Education programmes in 48 Small States around the world, all having a population of less than one million inhabitants, where local research to date is scarce. Hence, this mixed methodology study aims at addressing current gaps and should serve as an ideal guide for National Olympic Committees. Quantitative data was collected from all 48 National Olympic Committees through an online questionnaire covering various areas related to Olympic Education including administrative structure, human resources, financing, external stakeholders and programme delivery. Qualitative data was also sought through five continental interviews carried out with national key persons responsible for Olympic Education. The main results reflect a gender imbalance in leadership and participation, low priority in comparison to other areas, severely limited budgets leading to heavy reliance on volunteers as well as dormant National Olympic Academies. Findings are contrasted with the main theories of Paolo Freire through which Olympic Education programmes should be viewed as a way of life within and beyond schools where the local context must be given greater prominence. A higher priority through better financial resources and the establishment of a network among Small States are also required to ensure higher quality Olympic Education programmes in Small States.