PE cut by schools
PE cut by schools – It has been reported this week that the amount of time scheduled for PE lessons has been cut in schools dramatically for children preparing for “high stakes exams”. The Youth Sport Trust sited exam pressure being the main reason along with more lesson time being given for maths and English.
- 11-14 years get 124 minutes a week
- 14-16 years get 98 minutes a week
- 16-18 years get 34 minutes a week
That’s a 72.5 per cent decrease!!! There are numerous problems associated with reducing sport for children, especially those preparing for exams; higher stress and anxiety, reduction in concentration etc. You can read the articles from TES and the Telegraph which explain the survey and its results.
It is astonishing that PE is cut by schools given the amount and quality of research that shows how positive exercise is on children’s mental abilities. Listed below is a variety of journals and articles detailing the benefits but basically exercise;
- improves cognitive function
- releases stress
- reduces anxiety
- increases concentration and focus
Are these not all things that could help with academic exams?
Journals and articles
Associations between objectively measured physical activity and academic attainment in adolescents from a UK cohort (The preponderance of evidence suggests that devoting more time to physical education benefits not only health and well-being but is not detrimental to academic attainment.) http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/48/3/265
Physical Activity, Fitness, and Physical Education: Effects on Academic Performance (Single sessions of and long-term participation in physical activity improve cognitive performance and brain health. Children who participate in vigorous- or moderate-intensity physical activity benefit the most.) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK201501/
Effects of physical activity on children’s executive function (Both acute and chronic aerobic exercise promote children’s executive function) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273229710000304
Fit for learning: what research says about the benefits of sport (Studies from the universities of Strathclyde and Dundee, found that intensive exercise boosted the performance of teenagers in English, maths and science.) https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2015/sep/03/fit-for-learning-what-research-says-about-the-benefits-of-sport
Exercise ‘boosts academic performance’ of teenagers (Intensive exercise improves the academic performance of teenagers, according to new research.The study, of about 5,000 children, found links between exercise and exam success in English, maths and science.) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-24608813
The link between pupil health and wellbeing and attainment (Research evidence shows that education and health are closely linked.1,2 So promoting the health and wellbeing of pupils and students within schools and colleges has the potential to improve their educational outcomes and their health and wellbeing outcomes.) https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/370686/HT_briefing_layoutvFINALvii.pdf