Stokes backs calls for guaranteed PE in schools

England Test skipper Ben Stokes has backed calls for each kid to beryllium guaranteed astatine slightest 2 hours of beingness acquisition successful schoolhouse each week.

The England and Wales Cricket Board and 4 different nationalist sporting governing bodies person asked nan authorities that is formed pursuing Thursday’s wide predetermination to put a minimum level of play athletics successful nan nationalist curriculum.

"It's much than conscionable nan beingness broadside of it," Stokes told BBC Sport. "We want our younker to beryllium progressive from nan intelligence broadside of things arsenic well.

"Sport is awesome for life. I would promote nan more, nan better."

Before nan election, nan ECB joined pinch nan Football Association, Rugby Football Union, Rugby Football League and Lawn Tennis Association to property governmental parties to backmost schoolhouse sport. The ECB has besides met pinch nan awesome governmental parties.

Last Friday, Stokes coached children astatine Hawthorne Primary School successful Newcastle arsenic portion of free cricket sessions funded by nan ECB and delivered by Northumberland Cricket and Chance To Shine.

All-rounder Stokes, 33, added: "What squad sports, peculiarly cricket, tin do is create an situation wherever kids study to build relationships, study astir moving together and towards a goal.

"It is not only nan occurrence you tin get from sport, but learning astatine a young property really rewarding being successful a squad tin beryllium and what it is for illustration to spell done hardship together."

The Independent Commission for Equity successful Cricket past twelvemonth reported "elitism and class-based discrimination" successful nan game, partially down to a deficiency of cricket successful authorities schools and a talent pathway structurally aligned to backstage schools.

Some 58% of men to play for England successful 2021 were privately educated, importantly higher than nan 7% of nan wide organization who went to backstage school.

In response, nan ECB expanded activity pinch charities Chance To Shine and Lord’s Taverners to present free cricket sessions successful authorities schools.

Overall, nan ECB spends much than £4m each twelvemonth done Chance To Shine, offering cricket to 600,000 children successful astir 4,000 authorities schools. The backing has peculiarly targeted schools wherever astatine slightest 40% of nan children are connected free schoolhouse meals.

Stokes was calved and schooled successful New Zealand anterior to moving to nan UK astatine nan property of 12. Through cricket he was fixed nan opportunity to be a backstage school, which he turned down.

"I was very fortunate that my schoolhouse was committed to PE arsenic good arsenic education," said Stokes. "We had very bully facilities, but that's not nan lawsuit pinch each school.

"I was 1 of nan fortunate ones, but what we are doing present is for nan schools that don’t person those accommodation to beryllium capable to put their children done immoderate benignant of PE, successful peculiar cricket."