Following a substantial £1.5 million investment in 22 local areas, the Government has allocated an additional £10 million to assist schools in opening their sports facilities outside of regular teaching hours, starting with the upcoming Easter holidays. Furthermore, discussions are underway regarding the formulation of a health and wellbeing measure for schools that could be evaluated by Ofsted.
Our Keep Kids Active campaign advocated for the provision of school sports facilities to be accessible to communities during evenings, weekends, and holidays. We also emphasized the need for a strategy that recognizes the significance of physical education (PE) on par with core subjects.
Prime Minister Johnson’s remarks align with recent research indicating that more than two-thirds of parents believe their children’s physical activity levels declined during the lockdown. Only 21 percent of parents reported that their children were active for the recommended average of 60 minutes per day.
The survey, conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Youth Sports Trust, also highlights the importance parents place on school sports. Over 80 percent of parents desire schools to offer at least 30 minutes of daily activity, and 78 percent would like to see a minimum of two hours of PE each week. Although this aligns with current national guidance, it is not mandatory, and children often receive less in practice.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden recognizes the noticeable shift in awareness surrounding physical activity and mental health in the past year. He advocates for a national focus on these areas, stating that creating a fitter and healthier Britain would be an excellent legacy of the global health crisis.
A call has been made for sport and physical activity to be elevated to a key cabinet role, as part of a comprehensive national plan to make Britain the healthiest nation globally. A parliamentary inquiry, led by chair Lord Willis and including esteemed individuals like Baroness Brady and Baroness Grey-Thompson, has been gathering expert evidence prior to the return of grassroots sports after the lockdown.
The inquiry has examined the New Zealand model, where the Deputy Prime Minister also serves as the Minister for Sport and Recreation. New Zealand’s national strategy links the wellbeing benefits of sport and physical activity to health and education policy. The committee will provide formal recommendations in a subsequent report, urging the government to seize the post-Covid opportunity to revolutionize the nation’s approach to recreational sport.
It is worth noting the apparent correlation between nations like Britain, which have high obesity rates, and their elevated death rates during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lord Willis emphasizes the importance of making sport and physical activity a central pillar of government policy. He suggests a cabinet position dedicated to coordinating all relevant departments with the objective of making Britain the healthiest, fittest, and most mentally alert nation on earth. Active children are more likely to be healthy, mentally alert, and possess good social skills, which benefits the health system and the economy.
Lord Willis cites the New Zealand model as an attractive example, with a central plan for sport, recreation, and active lifestyles. He advocates for the coordination of policies at the cabinet level, which he believes is an obvious decision.
Lord Willis’s remarks echo the sentiment shared in the diaries of Alastair Campbell, where former Prime Minister David Cameron declined to establish a cabinet position for sports and Olympic legacy. Campbell asserts that this was a missed opportunity to reshape the nation’s perception of sport and leverage it across various government responsibilities, including health and education.
Lord Willis and Campbell both stress that little progress has been made despite the substantial investments made for the Olympics and the goal of becoming the most active nation globally. Utilizing facilities within schools and universities is crucial to achieving the strategy’s objectives.
The return of children’s sports coincides with new research commissioned by the Youth Sports Trust revealing that parents prioritize their children’s physical and mental wellbeing over academic achievement. Many parents are unaware of the chief medical officer’s recommendation for children to engage in at least one hour of physical activity daily.
The YouGov poll found that around two-thirds of parents believe their children’s wellbeing is more important than their academic performance. They believe that the pandemic, lockdown, and changes in schooling have negatively impacted their children’s wellbeing. Over 80 percent of parents believe that cuts to PE, sport, and break time in schools will likely have adverse effects on their children’s wellbeing.
The Chief Executive of the Youth Sports Trust, Ali Oliver, hopes that the ongoing parliamentary inquiry will lead to the establishment of a comprehensive, long-term cross-departmental strategy to make British children the happiest and healthiest in the world. Oliver sees an opportunity to reposition physical education, emphasizing its significant contribution to wellbeing, personal development, and character-building. Creating such an approach is crucial for the current generation’s wellbeing and future needs.
In conclusion, the Government’s investment in local areas and commitment to opening school sports facilities outside of regular teaching times, combined with the call to elevate sport and physical activity to a cabinet position, reflect a significant step toward making Britain a fitter, healthier, and mentally alert nation.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
