Preparing bodies for the labours of life: representations and teaching practices of physical education in the work Eduquemos (1915)

This article examines the representations and teaching practices related to physical education found in the work Eduquemos (1915) by Arthur Porchat de Assis. Set within the historical context of Santos during the transition from the 19th to the 20th century, the study analyses how local elites employed education as an instrument of civilisational progress. Through the analysis of the chapters "How We Educate" and "On Physical Education", the influence of positivism and social Darwinism on Porchat de Assis's pedagogical conceptions is revealed. The author advocated for rigorous physical education as a foundation for the integral development of the individual, emphasising the importance of practices adapted to the Brazilian context. The work promotes an intersection between physical health, morality, and intellectual capacity, aiming to prepare pupils for the social and economic challenges of life. The analysis highlights the instrumentalisation of physical education as a central pedagogical practice in the formation of national identity and the construction of a modern and progressive society.