Children’s behaviour improved by school sport

A new report from Loughborough University says that children are misbehaving in the classroom because of a lack of opportunity to play sport. 

A total of 11,000 pupils aged 11 to 16 who were chosen because they struggled with school work or were badly behaved were given extra PE and after-school activities over a three-year period.  As a result, three-quarters of the pupils showed better behaviour and overall attendance rose by up to 10 per cent. 

A recent study by Oxford University warned that the Government’s recommended two hours of PE every week was inadequate and said state schools should emulate those in the private sector by offering games every day. 

The Youth Sport Trust was behind the project monitored by Loughborough University.

(Telegraph, p8, Graeme Paton, 4 col.”; Mail, p25, Laura Clark, ½ page)