SPORT/EDUCATION/HEALTH : PHYSICAL EDUCATION A KEY TOOL IN FIGHTING OBESITY, SAY MEPS.

Europe Environment, November, 2007

National governments have been called on to ensure that all primary and secondary school pupils have at least three physical education lessons per week, in a new report on The role of sport in education', approved by the European Parliament on 13 November.

The report, adopted with 590 votes for, 56 against and 21 abstentions, also emphasises that governments should encourage schools to exceed this prescribed minimum as far as possible.

As well as expressing concern at the amount of time pupils in the EU spend doing PE, MEPs also call for improvements to facilities. They note that "sports equipment in many schools is inadequate or worn out in all respects". As a result, they recommend that the EU Structural Funds be used for the creation and...

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