PE lessons 'to focus on tackling obesity' » Education » 24dash.com

The Government is planning changes to PE lessons to help children avoid the problems of obesity, Education Secretary Alan Johnson announced today.

Lessons will combine physical activity with learning how exercise affects fitness and health, and give schools even more flexibility to run the physical activities that best meet their pupils' needs.

The changes are being recommended by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) for 11 to 14 year olds as part of a wider review of the Key Stage 3 curriculum.

Alan Johnson will make the announcement at the annual National Sports College Conference, in Telford, later today.

Alan Johnson said: "We are giving schools unparalleled resources to supply children with an unprecedented range of sporting opportunities, helping to ensure there is something for every child.

"Sport has the potential to improve a child's body and mind and raise the quality of their education. Crucially, it improves their health, helping to stave off problems like heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

"Learning about the links between exercise and health at an early age will pay huge dividends later in life.

"Children will always want to take part in a range of sports - some where they challenge themselves against their own goals; some where they compete against other people.

"What is important is that pupils are active and understand how it is benefiting them in the broadest sense."

Sports that would once have been considered too expensive or impractical now feature on the school syllabus alongside traditional sports.

The latest survey of school sport showed that they offered pupils a total of 42 sports. Secondary schools provide an average of 20 sports and primary sports offer an average of 15.

Traditional sports remain popular, but other sports are making gains. In the last three years, there have been big increases in activities like fitness clubs, golf and cycling.

As a result, 80 per cent of pupils now take part in more than two hours of high quality PE and sport every week, up 30% in two years, exceeding the Government's 2006 target.

Alan Johnson said: "If children get the chance to discover what they like and what they are good at, they are more likely to continue that activity beyond the school gates.

"We have put the building blocks in place in schools and we are seeing the benefits as sport helps to reengage some pupils and boost attainment across the curriculum.

"For kids, this has been like winning the pools, literally, with 100 additional swimming pools built in the last two years.

"And there are more playing fields too, because we've made it harder for local authorities to sell them off, only allowing this to happen when the money is put into better sports facilities for the school and its wider community."

Every school in the country is now linked up with other schools, clubs, businesses and universities through one of the 450 school sport partnerships. These partnerships are providing children with access to improved support, better facilities and increased choice.

The Education Secretary also announced today ten newly designated sports colleges.

Sports colleges have spearheaded the Government's £1.5 billion drive to boost PE and sport in schools offering high quality sports education to millions of children.

They have also used the power of sport to bring about significant improvements in academic performance. Sports colleges are improving at a faster rate than all other specialist schools with the share of pupils getting five or more good GCSEs increasing from 49% to 54% in the last two years.