Authors
Mario R. Sala*
Canduman National High School, Canduman, Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines
Dr. Regina P. Galigao
Cebu Technological University – Main Campus, Cebu City, Philippines
Abstract
Although aspects of student well-being, social development, and educational enrichment are popularly associated with school sports, the constantly changing recognition and the lack of institutional support frequently derail the position of school sports within public education systems. Sporadic implementation and underdeveloped maintenance structures are continually experienced by school sports initiatives across many countries, instead of embedding them as key elements of holistic education. Not only does the absence of policy attention reflect these conditions, but also the difficulty of putting broad educational ideals into operational practice. This article examines global patterns of school sports implementation by interrogating the public school management systems that shape decision-making and execution, with particular attention to human resource management, financial and material administration, curriculum and instruction, and community engagement. The study draws together international policy texts, cross-national education analyses, and empirical investigations to reveal how administrative arrangements and resource governance determine the delivery of school sports programs using a qualitative-integrative review approach. The analysis indicates that policy intentions are often articulated with clarity, yet their realization is frequently diminished by fragmented management dynamics, limited professional preparation, peripheral placement of sports within curricula, and inconsistent external support. While resource shortages are commonly cited as the primary obstacle, the findings suggest that such limitations are better understood as consequences of systemic management choices rather than as purely technical deficiencies. By reframing implementation gaps as indicators of structural misalignment, the study offers a management-centered framework capable of accounting for differences in school sports provision across contexts. This perspective emphasizes that the varying outcomes do not stem from contextual probability but from the degree to which management systems fail or succeed in setting priorities. The article ultimately demonstrates that the persistence of inequitable school sports programs reflects weaknesses in system coherence, and that sustainable provision becomes attainable only when human, financial, curricular, and community elements are deliberately integrated within and around educational goals. Implications are outlined for policymakers, school leaders, and educators, alongside directions for future studies that seek strengthened governance capacity and institutional coordination in public school sports systems.
Keywords: Public school management, school sports, co-curricular programs, resource constraints, human resource management, curriculum implementation.
*Corresponding author / Email: marioromeosala@gmail.com
DOI: http://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS05031441
Recommended citation:
Sala, M. R., & Galigao, R. P. (2026). School sports in public education systems: A global review of implementation and resource constraints. Pantao (International Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences) 5 (3), 2973-2982. http://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS05031441
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