This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Children get more active
09/01/2007
Physical activity and sport sessions in schools have jumped by 53 per cent at primary level, and 17 per cent overall, in the last two years since Active Schools was launched with £12 million per annum of backing from Ministers.
In the 2005-06 school year 350,000 activity sessions took place in schools with Active Schools Coordinators in post, in addition to timetabled PE, representing an average rise of 17 per cent on the previous year. For primary schools the increase was 53 per cent.
More than 8.5 million participant sessions were held across a range of 69 activities from rugby and hockey to Scottish dance and organised playground games.
In addition, two more detailed studies into primary and secondary schools in Dumfries and Galloway and South Lanarkshire revealed an increase in participation in physical activities by girls, with increases of 37 per cent and 32 per cent respectively in those reaching the national activity target of 60 minutes per day.
Other feedback from these two detailed case studies shows that 73 per cent of primary pupils are now achieving the national activity target, an increase of 30 per cent, whilst in secondary schools 48 per cent are achieving the target - a 9 per cent increase.
The Active Schools Network is managed by sportscotland and forms part of the Executive's Healthy Living Campaign which aims to offer children the motivation and opportunities to adopt active, healthy lifestyles. It supports the Executive's aim that all schools should be health promoting.
Sports Minister Patricia Ferguson said:
"This two-year progress report is encouraging and I am pleased to see a marked increase in the number of opportunities for schoolchildren to participate in sport and physical activity sessions across the country.
"It is also heartening to see evidence from case studies focusing on two different regions which show increased participation in physical activities from girls, a group which has traditionally engaged less in physical activities than boys.
"An increasing number of Scottish schools are now on board, with more staff and volunteers in place to deliver the programme at grassroots level.
"We are determined to get people of all ages more active, more often, by increasing access to a wide range of activities, particularly those available through schools."
Health Minister Andy Kerr said:
"We are committed to improving the health of everyone, particularly children and young people and this report is further evidence that we are starting to make a real impact.
"The Executive has a long term national strategy for the promotion of physical activity and we are currently supporting a wide range of programmes to increase activity levels in our children and young people."
Stewart Harris, Chief Executive of sportscotland welcomed the findings and said:
"We are delighted that the evidence is showing the real progress being made across Scotland's schools where Active Schools Coordinators are in place.
"There are more opportunities than ever before to take part in a wide range of physical activities and sport and the more detailed evidence from two local authorities is clearly demonstrating that physical activity levels are increasing particularly in primary schools.
"A key role for sportscotland has been to put the Network of staff in place and the latest figures demonstrate the vital part that managers and coordinators are playing in developing increased opportunities to take part.
"We will continue to work with our partners to ensure that the Network performs to its potential and drives up the physical activity levels of our nation's young people."
Active Schools is delivered by
- 32 Active Schools Managers
- 291 Active Schools Coordinators (Primary)
- 322 Active Schools Coordinators (Secondary)
- 15 Active Schools Coordinators (SEN)
- 15 Active Schools Coordinators (Joint)
Over 20,000 people helped lead activity sessions in the third term of the school year 2005-2006. More than half of the leaders were unpaid volunteers.