UN Report Highlights Global Deficit in Physical Education for School Students

Dec. 30, 2024, 10:32 a.m.

A UN report titled "Global State of Play," released by UNESCO's education team, reveals a significant lack of access to minimum physical education for the majority of the world's school children. According to the first-ever Global Status Report on Quality Physical Education, only 7 percent of schools globally offer equal physical education time for boys and girls. The report indicates that two-thirds of secondary school students and more than half of primary school students worldwide do not receive the required minimum weekly physical education. Furthermore, only 58 percent of countries have made physical education compulsory for girls.

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An expert from UNESCO highlighted that less than half of primary school teachers are specially trained in physical education. The report also points out major disparities in funding, with two-thirds of countries dedicating less than 2 percent of their education budget to physical education, while only one in ten allocates more than 7 percent. The scarcity of professional development opportunities for physical education teachers is a critical issue. Only 33 percent of countries offer in-service training and continuous professional development for their physical education workforce every five years, far below the recommended annual frequency.

Discrepancies between policy and practice are also noted, with 54.5 percent of countries having policies for equal PE time for boys and girls, but only 7.1 percent of schools implementing this in practice. Additionally, one in three students with disabilities lacks access to physical education. UNESCO's report calls for increased investment in physical education, improved teacher training, inclusive PE programs, and more hours dedicated to physical education in school curricula. The report also provides ten indicators to help local and national authorities assess and improve the quality of physical education in their regions.