Analysis of flexibility and agility differences among students of public and private schools

Background: Flexibility and agility are critical components of physical fitness that play a vital role in children’s motor development, injury prevention, and overall athletic performance. However, disparities in school environments may influence these fitness attributes, with private schools often providing better infrastructure and structured physical education compared to public schools.

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze and compare flexibility and agility among students from public and private schools to determine whether educational settings significantly affect these motor abilities.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was adopted involving 100 students aged 13-16 years (50 from public schools and 50 from private schools). Flexibility was assessed using the Sit-and-Reach Test, while agility was measured using the Illinois Agility Test. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and independent samples t-tests were applied to identify differences between groups at a significance level of p< 0.05.

Results: Private school students demonstrated higher mean flexibility (24.12±3.45 cm) compared to public school students (21.48±3.62 cm), and faster agility times (17.82±1.09 sec) than public school students (18.65±1.21 sec). Independent samples t-test results confirmed these differences to be statistically significant for both flexibility (t(98) = -3.56, p = 0.001) and agility (t(98) = 3.21, p = 0.002).

Conclusion: The findings suggest that private school students outperform public school students in both flexibility and agility, likely due to differences in training opportunities, sports infrastructure, and structured physical education programs. These results emphasize the need for strengthening physical education and sports initiatives in public schools to promote balanced motor development among adolescents.