Life Based Learning ™
Delivering subject content through nine life themes
School uniform and activity levels
New research suggests that school uniform may be deterring young people from being active, particularly girls of primary school age. The findings, though not conclusive, are of concern nonetheless. The majority of children do not currently meet recommended physical activity levels. We also know that girls are less physically active than boys, with evidence suggesting that many girls who were active when younger disengage when they reach their teenage years. We need to ensure that all children understand the importance of participating in sports and have regular opportunities to take part in physical activity. Not only is it good for them here and now, it will also help them learn habits that will serve them well throughout their lives. This means addressing whatever obstacles, attitudes and biases are directly causing or contributing to a reduction in activity levels. Schools have a vital role to play.
The University of Cambridge study – Are school uniforms associated with gender inequalities in physical activity? – uses data about the participation in physical activity of more than a million 5-to-17-year-olds across 135 countries. It found that in countries where a majority of schools require students to wear uniforms fewer young people tend to meet the sixty minutes of physical activity recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
There is a gender gap between boys’ and girls’ physical activity levels. Regardless of uniform requirements, fewer girls than boys tend to reach the recommended sixty-minute level. Among primary school students, however, the difference in activity between girls and boys was found to be wider in countries where most children wear uniforms. (The same result was not found in secondary school-aged students: the authors suggest that this may be because younger children get more incidental exercise during the school day, such as running around and playing at break and lunchtimes, than older children.)
The authors are not claiming that the results prove that school uniforms limit children’s physical activity. However, other studies provide support for the findings. For example, there is already evidence that girls feel less comfortable participating in active play if they are wearing certain types of clothing such as skirts or dresses, and – a related point – that girls are more self-conscious about engaging in physical activity when wearing uniforms in which they do not feel comfortable.
They identified a consistent gender gap between boys’ and girls’ physical activity levels, with boys 1.5 times more likely to meet WHO recommendations across all ages. However, the gap widened from 5.5 percentage points at primary school level in non-uniform countries to a 9.8 percentage point difference in countries where uniforms were required in most schools.
The authors say that their findings merit further research.
We are not trying to suggest a blanket ban on [uniforms], but to present new evidence to support decision-making. School communities could consider design and whether specific characteristics of a uniform might either encourage or restrict any opportunities for physical activity across the day.
Dr Mairead Ryan, researcher at the MRC Epidemiology Unit and University of Cambridge Faculty of Education
In September 2023 we highlighted the Kick On football initiative promoted by Starling Bank and its ambassador Jill Scott MBE, the former England footballer. Though nearly half of girls aged 11–16 play football, they are three times more likely than boys to give up the sport, according to research done by the bank. Issues such as bullying, body confidence and school work all hinder girls’ participation and commitment, it said.
Meanwhile, a report published in 2022 indicated that nearly half of all girls may be disengaging from sport when they enter their teenage years. The Women in Sport charity called them ‘the lost 43%’. The report talked of “complex barriers and deep-rooted negative attitudes” affecting girls’ enjoyment of sport. For those who claimed to have fallen out of love with sport as they have moved into their teenage years, lack of self-belief appeared to be a significant factor, as well as issues around body image and puberty.
We need an ambitious public health strategy that encourages everyone – young, old and in between – to take part in sport and/or physical activity, removing obstacles to participation and offering access for all to high-quality, inspirational facilities.
Image at the head of this article by Vlad Vasnetsov from Pixabay.
