Twelve years of Tory government have had a disastrous impact on girls’ sport in schools, experts have said, warning that last weekend’s women’s Euro victory will be squandered unless drastic action is taken.
In the past 10 years, 42,000 hours of PE lessons have been lost in secondaries – with girls the most affected – and the situation is getting worse, according to the Youth Sport Trust.
Calling for a “root and branch review” of how PE is taught, experts told the Observer the subject is being “marginalised” and the gender gap is already evident by the age of seven – when girls are a year behind boys on “physical literacy”, the development of basic movement and sport skills.
By the time they start secondary at 11, the gap is even wider. Girls’ activity also varies along racial lines. The intervention comes a week after the England women’s football team made history to become European champions, beating eight-time holders Germany in extra-time.