Launching in The Telegraph the campaign is putting equality and participation in school sport on the agenda with the following aims:
- To enshrine equality of opportunity in sport in the government’s School Sports Action Plan
- Campaign for new government guidelines, enforced by Ofsted, to put the benefits of PE on par with core subjects
- Encourage schools to empower girls and offer wider choice through ‘Girls Active’ and ‘This Girl Can’ schemes
Tuesday’s launch coverage included a range of case studies from first person experiences of pupils at schools, to a school leading the way to make physical education a core part of its curriculum. Launch coverage will also feature other case studies and research alongside opinion and views from across the sports and education sector from grassroots to elite and government.
Anna Kessel, The Telegraph’s Women’s Sports Editor, said: “According to the United Nations, sport has the power to change the world for women and girls. And yet in schools it is all too often treated as a second class subject on the curriculum, aimed at the “sporty” kids, and ignoring the evidence that shows girls who play sport are more likely to be high achievers in the workplace, as well as benefit from better health and wellbeing. As the newly launched Telegraph Women’s Sport initiative pledges to showcase elite sporting talent, we hope also to make an impact on grassroots sport. Generations of women and girls have been lost to sport and physical activity, it is imperative that we turn the tide and make PE a priority right now.”
Adam Sills, Head of Sport at The Telegraph said: “The benefits of school sports are far reaching from mental and physical wellbeing to the positive impact it can have on academic performance. It is therefore imperative that our children and particularly our girls, are met with the support, encouragement and sufficient funding they need when it comes to school sports. We believe this campaign has the power to universally increase participation in sports, while shining a light on the systemic inequalities holding back our girls from uncovering their true sporting potential.”
