ParalympicsGB has launched a series of new and updated recommendations for government to make sure every child has equal access to physical education at school. The national curriculum consultation is expected to begin before the end of the year, and ParalympicsGB says the proposals are a real opportunity to build a truly inclusive education system where all children can take part in PE and school sport.
The recommendations form a critical part of ParalympicsGB’s Equal Play campaign, which calls for equal access to PE and school sport for the 1.5 million disabled children who make up more than 15% of the school population. They were developed with the Association for Physical Education (afPE), Activity Alliance and the Lawn Tennis Association, together with teachers, Paralympic athletes and GB wheelchair tennis player Ruby Bishop, and are supported by Marie Tidball MP and Alice Macdonald MP.
The scale of the gap is stark. Research by Activity Alliance found that only 1 in 4 disabled children regularly take part in PE and school sport. ParalympicsGB’s own research found that 4 in 5 teachers have received no PE-specific inclusion training, 95% face structural barriers such as staffing, space and equipment, and fewer than 1 in 10 feel very confident delivering Para sport.
Alongside embedding disability inclusion and inclusive PE in teacher training and professional development, the new recommendations call for 20% of the teacher and trainee workforce to be disabled by 2035, reflecting the share of disabled people in wider society. They also propose a framework so that every school makes its indoor and outdoor PE spaces, changing facilities and equipment accessible to disabled children, in line with Ruby Bishop’s campaign for inclusive PE and equal access to sport.
David Clarke, ParalympicsGB CEO, said: “We know the positive impact participation in sport brings to health and happiness, which is why every child should be able to take part in PE and sport at school. ParalympicsGB’s Equal Play campaign has developed a clear set of recommendations to drive this positive change and make sure no child is left on the sidelines, and every teacher has the tools to support them.”
Marie Tidball MP recalled her own school days: “When I was in school, I was left to referee netball and hockey matches for my non-disabled classmates. There was no understanding that I might be able to join in too, as a disabled person.”
For the sport for good sector, Equal Play is a reminder that inclusion starts in the school PE lesson, and that the confidence, friendships and health that come from sport should be open to every child.
Source: ParalympicsGB https://www.paralympics.org.uk/articles/paralympicsgb-announces-new-equal-play-recommendations-for-s