AAA White Paper The political economy of informal events, 2030 | Page 55

Boys and girls competing in school sports, 2011-2017/8, per cent
Those playing sport in their school in organised competitions (for
example, a school sports day)
Q1 2011
2017/8
Boys 5-10 66.9 24.8
Girls 5-10 60.6 17.3
Boys 11-15 50.0 30.0
Girls 11-15 30.0 21.1
A sports competition or one-off event outside school
Q1 2011
2017/8
Boys 5-15 26.4 21.1
Girls 5-15 10.9 11.1
Played sport against other schools in organised competitions
Q1 2011
2017/8
Boys 5-15
38.6

24.8
Girls 5-15 22.0 17.3
55
Chart 17
Source: DCMS, Taking part
2017/18: annual child report
tables, 2018
We live in a cultural climate that generally reveres exercise
and teamwork, and which pays occasional lip-service, even now,
to the skill of leadership. So: it can only be sad that children and
adolescents are less engaged in sport, including competitive sport,
than in the past.
No doubt many causes lie behind this disengagement. However,
one thing that may well be both a producer and a product of it is
that, when closing, redeveloping or amalgamating schools, local
authorities have been under budgetary pressure to sell off school
playing fields. Between November 2001 and April 2010, local
authorities sold 242 playing fields. Worse, Department for
Education statistics issued in 2019 show that local authorities
have sold a further 205 playing fields since May 2010.
Yes, playing fields can occasionally become the site for
much-needed housing. But from the perspective of events, local
authority ‘disposals’ of green fields look short-sighted. Each field
that once witnessed children’s games can now be a site for events.