industry & reform
Get moving
New guidelines say outside school care needs ‘ more exercise , fewer screens ’.
By Wade Zaglas
Outside school hours care ( OSHC ) provides an invaluable service to parents in the community , allowing more flexibility in being able to juggle their professional and family lives .
However , research shows that 31 to 79 per cent of OSHC sessions are sedentary , giving rise to a growing societal concern that screen time is increasingly replacing healthier activities and leading to a range of physical , social and emotional issues in children and adolescents .
To address this , researchers from the University of South Australia have delivered “ world-first national-level guidelines ”, developed with the input of the OSHC sector . The new guidelines promote an increase in physical activities and a decrease in screen use , and are broken into the following categories :
• Before school care should schedule 45 minutes of physical activities and no more than 30 minutes of screen time ( excluding the use of computers for homework ).
• After school care should schedule 90 minutes of physical activities and no more than 60 minutes of screen time .
• Vacation care should schedule at least 2-3 hours of physical activities and no more than two hours of screen time across the whole day .
Professor Carol Maher and UniSA PhD candidate Rosa Vigara concluded that a ratio of 3:1 is required for children to achieve enough physical activity during OSHC – “ that is , that three times the opportunity for exercise is needed for children to achieve sufficient physical activity during OSHC ”.
Fewer than one in four children achieve the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day in Australia , with primary school-aged children ( aged 5-14 ) spending more than two hours each day , on average , “ sitting or lying down for screen-based activities ”. Considering roughly 10 per cent of Australian primary school children attend OSHC each year – and the hours spent there make up nearly a third of a child ’ s “ potential daily recommended physical activity ” – the new guidelines could potentially bring about a substantial positive change in many children across the country .
Having the support of the OSHC sector was instrumental in understanding the current situation and instigating change , Vigara said .
“ Working closely with a broad range of OSHC stakeholders – including OSHC directors and educators , families , health and exercise experts – we ’ ve established consistent and workable guidelines to boost children ’ s physical activity while also limiting screen time ,” she said .
“ The main physical activity concept across all aspects of OSHC was that it should be play-based and fun , with ample opportunity for free active outdoor play , rather than being structured and run like a physical education class .
OSHC staff will need to be supported with training to help them facilitate physical activities .
“ The emphasis on free play is consistent with other research that shows that over half of children ’ s physical exercise is accumulated during outdoor free play .
“ Screen time , if offered at all , should be limited and balanced with physical activities , while quiet sedentary activities should be available to allow children to self-regulate and move freely between active and quiet play .”
Maher , the study ’ s senior author , says the new guidelines will now need to be disseminated nationally , and resources will be developed to assist OSHC staff “ understand their role in promoting healthy physical activity and screen use in OSHC , particularly given the transient , casual basis of the OSHC workforce ”.
“ To bring about these changes , OSHC staff will need to be supported with training to help them facilitate physical activities effectively ,” she said .
“ It will also be important to connect with children and families to help them understand and accept the new changes , and particularly in relation to screen time .
“ Helping kids stay happy and healthy is a responsibility for which we all play a part . It ’ s pleasing to see Australia ’ s OSHC centres so keen to make positive change .” ■
10 | educationreview . com . au