{"id":57850,"date":"2021-06-22T08:00:29","date_gmt":"2021-06-22T12:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=57850"},"modified":"2021-06-21T15:54:57","modified_gmt":"2021-06-21T19:54:57","slug":"aussie-kids-are-some-of-the-least-active-in-the-world-we-developed-a-cheap-school-program-that-gets-results","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/aussie-kids-are-some-of-the-least-active-in-the-world-we-developed-a-cheap-school-program-that-gets-results\/","title":{"rendered":"Aussie kids are some of the least active in the world. We developed a cheap school program that gets results"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Australian children are among the least active in the world. In a\u00a0recent study<\/a>, Aussie kids ranked 140th out of 146 countries for physical activity.<\/p>\n

And in 2018, a physical activity \u201creport card<\/a>\u201d gave Australian children a D-minus for overall physical activity levels. The grade was based on only 18% of young people meeting the physical activity guidelines \u2014 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day.<\/p>\n

We\u00a0developed and tested a program<\/a>\u00a0that trains teachers and schools to enhance the physical activity of their students long-term. And it costs just a fraction of some government policies that have shown limited results.<\/p>\n

Government policies not meeting their goals<\/strong><\/h4>\n

State policies\u00a0typically require primary schools<\/a>\u00a0to provide students with at least two hours of planned physical activity each week. This doesn\u2019t just have to be physical education classes and can include sport, energiser breaks and more active lessons. Still, many schools fail to meet these recommendations.<\/p>\n

To address these problems, schools and governments have spent a lot of money on attempting to increase physical activity in kids.<\/p>\n

For example, the New South Wales government\u00a0recently spent<\/a>\u00a0$207 million over four years to subsidise children who enrol in sport outside of school. The Active Kids policy gives each eligible child a $100 voucher for the cost of sports registration, membership expenses and fees for physical activities such as swimming, dance lessons and athletics.<\/p>\n

These vouchers do\u00a0appear to be effective<\/a>\u00a0for children who use them. But an\u00a0evaluation showed<\/a>\u00a0a substantial number of parents in socially disadvantaged groups didn\u2019t know about the program, or just weren\u2019t engaging with it. This is arguably the group who needs them most.<\/p>\n

Plus, the vouchers cover only a few hours of sport per week. Children spend the rest of their time with their parents and teachers. And we know 85% of Australian adults\u00a0don\u2019t meet the required<\/a>\u00a0physical activity guidelines.<\/p>\n

Teachers can be trained to help<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Teachers have a lot on their plates, but equipping teachers to promote physical activity can have long-lasting benefits. Teachers can pass on new skills to thousands of students over their career.<\/p>\n

The skills teachers can learn don\u2019t have to be complicated. For example:<\/p>\n