Stop sexism - Require schools to offer all sports to all children
The Government should require schools to offer all sports to all children so they get the opportunity to take a sport that they feel comfortable with, rather than being expected to take certain sports because of their gender. This should help tackle sexism and increase participation.
10,624 Signatures
Daily Rank: #947 • Weekly Rank: #1002 • Total Rank: #142
1. Girlguiding survey
08/06/2018 - Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street (Number 10)
- View source
Found: previous years. They give
an insight into how girls feel about the speci˜c and
emerging pressures facing
2. What works in schools and colleges to increase physical activity
31/03/2020 - Public Health England (PHE)
- View source
Found:
W
hat works in schools and colleges t
o
increas
e
physical activity
?
A resource
3. ‘Sporting Future: A Strategy for An Active Nation’
08/05/2018 - Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
- View source
Found: format or
medium, under the terms of the Open
Government Licence.
To view this licence,
Any enquiries
4. Adolescent psychosocial well-being and voice and agency in Ethiopia
10/08/2020 - Department for International Development
- View source
Found: roles in the ˜eld, and district and kebele-level government authorities
for their close support of the ˜eld
5. Integrated Communities Strategy green paper
09/02/2019 - Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
- View source
Found: and CommunityChapter 6: Increasing Economic Opportunity
Chapter 7: Rights and Freedoms
Chapter 8: Measuring
1. Discrimination in Sport
12/06/2019 - Commons Chamber
1: with concern that levels of discrimination across sport remain unacceptable; considers that a combination - Speech Link
2: with concern that levels of discrimination across sport remain unacceptable; considers that a combination - Speech Link
3: Because I enjoyed it—the togetherness, the opportunity to create new friends and the bringing together - Speech Link
4: and the Football Association, and I know that they take racism and the treatment of fans and players extremely - Speech Link
5: making an excellent case for the need to tackle discrimination in sport. As well as racism, I am sure she is - Speech Link
2. Homophobia in Sport
30/11/2016 - Westminster Hall
1: the motion for the next debate on homophobia in sport, I should inform Members that, owing to an administrative - Speech Link
2: That this House has considered homophobia in sport.I point out that the error on the Order Paper - Speech Link
3: school, when we divide our children into certain genders and certain sports, that only reinforces these - Speech Link
3. International Women’s Day: Progress on Global Gender Equality
08/03/2018 - Lords Chamber
1: every level of public life; almost a third of all government posts are filled by women; in my own department - Speech Link
4. Misogyny in Sport
16/09/2020 - Commons Chamber
1: is a global issue in sports clubs big and small around the world. Misogyny in sport is an incredibly broad - Speech Link
5. Sport in the UK
04/02/2019 - Commons Chamber
1: has considered sport in the UK.I am delighted that the House has the opportunity to discuss this - Speech Link
2: in essence, sport is devolved to the National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Government, does she welcome - Speech Link
3: agree that when communities come together around sport, it is really important that economic regeneration - Speech Link
6. Oral Answers to Questions
11/03/2020 - Commons Chamber
1: where we need better opportunities for people to get into public life and politics, but we have to recognise - Speech Link
2: Last year, NHS England announced that it would offer period products to every hospital patient who needs - Speech Link
3: sanitary products or even private toilets. The Government have a target of eradicating period poverty in - Speech Link
4: do not have enough money to pay for essentials. Schools, prisons and hospitals now provide free sanitary - Speech Link
5: with Cabinet colleagues on steps the Government is taking to increase the availability of affordable childcare - Speech Link
6: with Cabinet colleagues on steps the Government is taking to increase the availability of affordable childcare - Speech Link
7: with Cabinet colleagues on steps the Government is taking to increase the availability of affordable childcare - Speech Link
7. Sport, Recreation and the Arts
19/12/2018 - Lords Chamber
1: highlighting the significant social benefits of participation in sport, the strong evidence demonstrating positive - Speech Link
8. World Menopause Day
18/10/2018 - Commons Chamber
1: the menopause in this House. I want to take this opportunity to congratulate her on her honesty and, - Speech Link
2: report that Michelle is promoting is intended to increase understanding of symptoms and, in particular, - Speech Link
9. Oral Answers to Questions
23/09/2020 - Commons Chamber
1: eight out of 10 were not included in the official Government shielded group, in spite of 57% having significant - Speech Link
2: is kept under review. We must ensure that people feel safe, particularly those who are seeking to work - Speech Link
3: endeavours with colleagues at that Department to get this apparent blockage shifted? As we seek to avoid - Speech Link
4: to keep saying that having a disability does not stop someone contributing. However, for many people, - Speech Link
5: have the same opportunities that anyone else would take for granted. Rightly, we had to suspend face-to-face - Speech Link
10. BACKBENCH BUSINESS
29/11/2018 - Westminster Hall
1: time in the main Chamber, but unfortunately the Government did not allocate the time for the Backbench Business - Speech Link
asked by: Catherine West
29/01/2020
... what steps he is taking to help increase the participation of children in sport. 2. Physical Education: Coronavirus
asked by: Carla Lockhart
07/09/2020
... whether he plans to increase Government funding for physical education programmes in schools to help tackle (a) inactivity among children during the covid-19 lockdown and (b) childhood obesity. 3. Sports: Young People
asked by: Louise Haigh
25/06/2019
... boxing and cycling and community-based sports charities on engaging young people in hard to reach areas.
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Many students are made to feel out of place in school sport, and cannot express their true selves when forced to do a sport just because of their gender. It also causes inequality as from day one students are defined by their gender, which can knock some people’s self-confidence. It is archaic that this still happens, and should not be allowed.
Top 50 Constituencies by Number of Signatures
4,907 signatures - 46.0% of total
Government Response
The Government thinks it is right that schools should be free to decide on their own diverse & challenging PE curriculum to meet the needs of all their pupils.
In doing so, they must have regard to their duties under the Equality Act 2010.
The national curriculum for PE is designed to ensure that all pupils develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities, are physically active for sustained periods of time and lead healthy and active lives. Its aims include that pupils should engage in competitive sports and activities throughout all four key stages. The requirements do not differentiate in relation to sex. The curriculum does not stipulate which sports schools should offer to their pupils. It is up to schools to decide the range of sport they offer.
The Government guidance on the Equality Act makes it clear that, while an exception in the Act allows for the provision of single-sex sporting activities, the school would still have to allow boys and girls equal opportunities to participate in comparable sporting activities.
Since 2013 the Government has provided over £1.6 billion to primary schools to improve the quality of their PE provision, through the PE and Sport Premium. In the Government’s survey on use of the premium, 38 percent of schools reported an increase in participation in girls. Details can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/816676/Primary_PE_and_Sport_Premium_Survey_research_report.pdf
The Department set out in the School Sport Activity Action Plan to support all pupils to be physically active and to address barriers to engagement in under-represented groups. There are a number of specific programmes aimed at supporting participation in under-represented groups including girls.
Sport England has provided £1.5 million funding to help girls’ confidence to take part in sport and activity as part of the This Girl Can campaign, which has already inspired over 3.9 million women and girls to take steps to get active.
The Girls Active programme was created on the back of a 12-month action research project conducted by the Youth Sport Trust and is supported by Women in Sport.
Department for Education
This is a revised response. The Petitions Committee requested a response which more directly addressed the request of the petition. You can find the original response towards the bottom of the petition page (https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/331930)