Three hours of school sport are compulsory in Switzerland - but this could change

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• According to the SonntagsZeitung newspaper, the federal government and cantons are considering abolishing compulsory school sports lessons of at least three lessons per week, as the cantons finance the lessons themselves.
• Critics warn of more inequality and negative consequences for children's health and development, while supporters want to leave the decision to the cantons.
• At the same time, the shortage of gyms is worsening, which is further fueling the debate.

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Compulsory school sports in Switzerland are on the brink of extinction. As reported by theSonntagsZeitungnewspaper, the federal government and the cantons are considering scrapping the statutory requirement of at least three sports lessons per week without replacement as part of the "Entflechtung 27" project.

The obligation has been enshrined in the Federal Act on the Promotion of Sport and Exercise since 2010 and applies to around 1.3 million children and young people.

The "SonntagsZeitung" writes that the main justification for the proposal is regulatory: Since the cantons fully fund physical education, they should also be able to decide on it independently.

"Those who don't pay don't have a say"

Support comes, for example, from Benedikt Würth, Member of the Council of States: "Those who do not pay do not have a say." He continues: "Schools are a matter for the cantons. The federal government orders a service here, but does not contribute a single franc to its financing."

At the same time, according to the SonntagsZeitung, the lack of sports infrastructure is worsening. There is a shortage of around one hundred gyms across Switzerland, according to Jonathan Badan, President of the Swiss Association for Sport in Schools (SVSS): "There is a shortage of around one hundred gyms in Switzerland." The situation is particularly tense at upper secondary level and at vocational schools.

Criticism of the possible end of the obligation comes from various directions. Badan warns of growing inequality between the cantons: "All children must have the right to the same amount of exercise, regardless of their canton of residence. After all, it's about children's health."

Resistance is stirring in the federal parliament

There is also resistance in the House of Representatives. SP National Councillor Andrea Zryd says: "School sport today makes a fundamental contribution to health prevention and helps young people enormously in their development. Removing it would send a devastating signal to schoolchildren and parents."

Supporters of the reform counter this. Würth does not see the so-called "gym pressure" as an argument against the abolition: "The gym pressure is not a sports policy problem, but a spatial planning problem." He receives support from former Director of Education Christoph Eymann, who emphasizes: "I don't know any Director of Education who wants to cut back on school sports."

It remains to be seen whether the obligation will actually be dropped. The next step is for cities and municipalities to get involved: they can now take part in a consultation - and thus have a decisive influence on the future of school sports in Switzerland.