The report found that fewer than half of 10-year-olds can throw a ball competently, while more than 70% of primary school children own a smartphone. Only a small minority master basic movement skills needed for sport. The exact methodology and definitions used in the study have not been disclosed.
Lord Nash, former education minister, said the report 'should be a wake-up call' and warned that children are being raised who 'can swipe before they can throw'. Roz Savage, an MP and solo ocean rower, stressed that 'embedding physical activity into the primary school day is essential'. The report also revealed that over 2 million children are insufficiently active, with the poorest hit hardest by obesity and mental ill-health.
Embedding physical activity into the primary school day is essential if we are serious about saving the next generation from poor physical health. We must do more to open up opportunities for children to be active, including through better access to nature.
Swapping 15 minutes of daily screen time for outdoor play could enable 300,000 more pupils to meet recommended activity levels, the report suggested. Pupils sitting SATs spend three hours a day online. According to the Daily Express, one primary school teacher described children lacking core strength, unable to sit on a carpet.
The Centre for Social Justice is calling for a 'new school activity standard', though specific policy recommendations remain unclear. The UK government has not yet responded, and it is unknown how the country compares internationally on these measures.
This report should be a wake-up call. We are raising a generation of children who can swipe before they can throw, scroll before they can run, and who are paying the price in their physical and mental health.
Children need to be off their phones and outside – playing, moving, building the strength and resilience that an active childhood provides.