Only 59% of girls say they enjoy secondary school PE lessons and activities compared to 83% of boys – with periods and confidence levels being the two biggest barriers.
The annual Girls Active research undertaken by the Youth Sport Trust has raised concerns at what it terms the growing “enjoyment gap” in school sport.
The study involved responses from 18,500 girls aged from 7 to 18 and finds that across all ages 64% of girls say they enjoy PE lessons compared to 86% of boys.
However, it is at secondary level where the gap becomes more pronounced. The survey finds:
- At key stage 2: 90% of boys enjoy PE compared to 83% of girls.
- At key stage 3: 84% of boys enjoy PE compared to 60% of girls.
- At key stage 4: 80% of boys enjoy PE compared to 53% of girls.
