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A concerning decrease in the amount of time secondary school students in England spend on physical education (PE) has been highlighted by the Youth Sport Trust (YST), a charity focused on children’s exercise. The organization has pointed out that there has been a loss of “nearly 4,000 PE hours in the last year alone” in state-funded schools, raising the alarm for urgent action to safeguard and prioritize the subject.
According to the YST, there has been a significant reduction of nearly 45,000 PE hours in secondary school timetables since the London 2012 Olympics, coupled with a 7% decrease in the number of PE teachers in England. Responding to these findings, the government expressed its commitment to removing obstacles to PE and school sports access for young people.
The YST’s annual report reveals that 2.2 million children in England are now engaging in less than 30 minutes of physical activity per day, with less than half (48%) meeting the UK’s Chief Medical Officers’ recommendation of at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Notably, the sharpest decline has impacted 11-14-year-olds, with over 2,800 hours reduced and 347 teachers lost for this age group in the past year amidst increasing childhood obesity rates.
The YST also emphasizes that girls, children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds encounter the most significant barriers to being active. Despite these challenges, the study reveals that 93% of young people perceive PE as essential, 71% express a desire to be more active at school, and 96% of teachers affirm the mental wellbeing benefits of sports and play
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