School sports

A £100m campaign to give every child the chance of five hours of sport every week has been announced by prime minister Gordon Brown.

Government Response: DCMS
 
Prime minister Gordon Brown said: "We need to put school sport back where it belongs, playing a central role in the school day.

"I was lucky enough to have primary and secondary schools that had sport at the centre of their ethos.

"I want every child to have that opportunity to take part.

"Watching sport is a national pastime. Talking about sport is a national obsession. But now we need to make taking part in sport a national characteristic.

"Whatever their natural ability and whatever their age sport and activity can make our children healthier, raise self-confidence and self-esteem. It develops teamwork, discipline and a sense of fair play.

"Values that will stand young people and the country in good stead in the years to come.

"To do this will take a concerted campaign, a real team effort. government is doing its bit. Schools, parents, volunteers and the sporting world can do theirs. I call on them to join us. Together we can help every child be the best they can be."

 

Party Response: Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat culture spokesman Don Foster said: "This is not the first time we’ve had the promise of increased funding for grass roots sport from this government, but their track record in making our young people more active is appalling.

"They pledged £750m in lottery funding for grass roots sport seven years ago yet they’ve still only provided a fraction of it.

"£100m is a drop in the ocean when the government continues to sink money into the Olympic budget black hole.

"It will do little to address the three million kids that will drop out of sport after leaving school between now and the London Olympics."

 

Stakeholder Response: Play England

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Adrian Voce, said: "Children's love of physical activity needs to be cultivated at a much earlier age.

"School sports are great for sporty kids in primary and secondary years but all the evidence points to the need to enable active lifestyles in preschool and reception age children.

"At this age children are naturally active and simply need the right space - playable space - in which to express themselves.

"But they also need time and permission to play.

"As long ago as 2001 the British Medical Journal carried a report warning of the growing obesity epidemic and that it begins with pre-school children.

"The 'main solution' it suggested, was to 'promote spontaneous play'.

"Six years later the only government policy on children's play provision is to leave it to short term lottery funding."

 

Stakeholder Response: The afPE

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The Association for Physical Education said: "We welcome the announcement of the government’s new strategy to offer children aged five to 16, five hours’ physical education and school sport each week, including two hours’ physical education within curriculum time.

"The commitment to raising the amount of curriculum time delivery is particularly welcome, because it is the only comprehensive means of ensuring that all children learn the skills and confidence for life long participation in physical activity. 

"Indeed, last year’s achievement of the PESSCL PSA target of 75 per cent of children receiving two hours’ high quality physical education and school sport inside and outside the curriculum, was heavily dependent on curriculum time delivery of physical education.

"The PESSCL partnership between afPE, the Youth Sport Trust and Sportscoach UK is currently focusing on ensuring “high quality”; and addressing the particular challenges of the strategy, at key stages one and four, while also assisting in the implementation of the new secondary curriculum. 

"However, a very large proportion (our data implies at least 40 per cent) of providers of initial teacher training allocate 6 hours or less preparation in physical education, for their trainees for primary schools. 

"This is totally inadequate, and means that many newly qualified primary teachers, through no fault of their own, lack the skills and confidence to deliver good quality physical education to children of primary age. 

"Future participation depends on children in this age range receiving good quality introduction to the basic skills which are prerequisites for developing physical competence and talent. 

"Using primary teachers is the most sustainable and appropriate means of delivery, especially supported and enriched by coaches, development officers and assistant teachers, as intended by the current coaching framework."