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This paper describes a study of school physical education (PE) in French Indochina to cover the existing lack of knowledge on the developmental process of PE in developing countries. The study focused specifically on how PE developed in the Indochina Union, based on "colonial experience" in each region of French Indochina. A historical overview revealed that the former colonial countries had reconstructed their own education models in response to the demands of the extrinsic development model imposed by the colonial government. However, it was suggested that individual societal values may have regulated the behavior of the colonial people, and redefined the characteristics of PE. Regarding the process by which PE had been introduced, it was found that after sporadic and uneven efforts at gymnastics education based on the "General regulation of education" in 1917, the introduction of PE in the Indochina Union had gained momentum as a result of "Instruction n°26" issued by the Superior General Commander in 1921 and the "General Regulation of Physical Education" approved by the Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts. Moreover, based on failures experienced in the early stages, the French-Indochina administration took measures to prepare for the introduction of full-scale PE through a series of "arrêté" in 1924, including the signing of an agreement between the University and Military, provision of special allowances to military instructors, establishment of the Regional Center for Physical Instruction (CRIP), and physiological surveys conducted by the special committee. Furthermore, it was revealed that the PE program started in French Indochina through the 1925 PE campaign included the establishment of PE classes and annual sports festivals through the PE facilities established at fullexercise schools (école de plein exercice), and a teacher training system that was organized in 1926 by adopting the teaching methods of the Joinville School, distribution of PE manuals, and establishment of several PE training courses for teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]