PE in Schools Push: MPs Call for Physical Activity to Return to the Curriculum Core

A cross-party group of MPs has published a parliamentary report calling for physical education and physical activity to be restored to the core of the school curriculum, arguing that the sustained decline in the amount of time children spend in active movement during the school day represents a public health emergency that is storing up serious long-term costs for the NHS and for the economy.

The report, which drew on evidence from physical education teachers, sport governing bodies, public health researchers and children’s wellbeing specialists, found that the proportion of children meeting the government’s own physical activity guidelines — 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day — had fallen substantially over the previous decade, with secondary school students particularly likely to fall short. The MPs attributed the decline to a combination of factors including reduced PE timetable time, the pressure of examination preparation that displaces active learning, the design of school buildings that discourages movement, and the shift of children’s leisure time towards screen-based activities.

The report made a series of specific recommendations, including a requirement that schools publish the amount of PE and physical activity timetabled per week in a standardised format to enable parents and Ofsted to monitor provision; additional training and professional development funding for PE teachers; and investment in school sports facilities, many of which the report described as in a state of significant disrepair.

The government’s response was cautious, with ministers acknowledging the importance of physical activity while noting the competing pressures on school timetables and funding. The DCMS indicated it would respond formally to the report within the standard parliamentary timescale of 60 days.