Comment: Dr Carol Fuller on new report which found children who carry out physical activity are likely to have better social skills
Release Date 02 July 2015
Dr Carol Fuller, Associate Professor of Education at the University of Reading, says new Public Health England report highlights that the classroom is no longer the only place to learn.
"This report highlights the value of the outdoors to children's physical and emotional well-being.
"It is therefore obvious that squeezing outdoor time into the curriculum is an outdated concept - one that is not supporting young people - physically, mentally and socially.
"In addition to the many benefits identified by the report outdoor time can also help students in the classroom. Research from the University of Reading and Ufton Court Educational Trust is showing teenagers from a socially disadvantaged area were much more confident and engaged in class after having access to outdoor experiences.
"Today's young people are spending less and less time out of doors. This has to change. As our research and this report makes clear, it is no longer viable to see the classroom as the only place for learning."
Dr Fuller is also researching the educational impact of outdoor residential visits on children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds