Ministers are considering a plan to extend the school day by two hours to give pupils more time for physical exercise in a scheme backed by some of the country’s leading sports stars.
The move, which is being discussed at the highest levels of Government, is intended to combat the obesity crisis and anti-social behaviour in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Current and past sports stars, including England rugby internationals Lawrence Dallaglio and Courtney Lawes, are among the big names who have endorsed the proposals drawn up by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), the think-tank founded by former Conservative leader and Cabinet minister, Sir Iain Duncan Smith.
Former Manchester United footballer Rio Ferdinand, double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes, tennis star Tim Henman, former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp and former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon have also thrown their weight behind the bid to harness the power of sport to boost resilience and educational achievement among the young, especially the disadvantaged.
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