School Discipline
Tuesday 14th December 2004
On the day when Labour are
announcing their new school sports policy, it is a good time to reflect on how
the Conservative
policy on school sport fits in with our Timetable for Action on school discipline.
We will continue to support the target of two hours sport a week during school hours, but in addition, we have a plan to
extend sports provision outside school by offering every child two hours’ free sports coaching in their chosen sport every
week.
We will do this because we believe participation in sport forms an important part of improving school discipline. That’s why
children also need better opportunities to engage in enjoyable, constructive and affordable activities outside school, if we
are to improve their behaviour. It is a simple fact that healthier and more active children are also likely to be happier and
better behaved.
Our plans will make up to £250 million per year available to help local sports clubs deliver after-school sport. Plus, we won’t
tell children which sports
they have to play. Instead, every sport recognised by Sport England will be
eligible for the
initiative. Children and young
people will be able to choose what sports they take part in, and funding will be
in direct
relation to the number of children that participate.
That’s our clear and specific plan to boost the sporting opportunities available to all young people in this country. It’s part of
our Timetable for Action to deal with the problems of school discipline that are getting steadily worse under Tony Blair’s
Government.
Lynton Crosby
Campaign Director
LABOUR: ALL TALK ON SPORT
Labour are announcing their new
school sports policy today: a week late. Labour say that their new school sports
policy will
‘reverse decades of decline in school sport – and tackle rising obesity levels – by getting every pupil between 5 and 16 in
England to do five hours of
exercise a week by 2010’ (Observer,
12 December 2004).
Why Labour are all talk
Labour’s 2001 manifesto pledged:
‘a sports entitlement for all children, giving them access to at least two hours
a week of
sport in or after school’. But Labour cut their target – by omitting disabled children from their policy. Labour are all talk.
•
Since Labour introduced laws to
protect school playing fields in 1998, local education chiefs have submitted 213
applications to sell grounds, of
which only six have been refused (National Playing Fields Association, quoted in
The
Independent,
25 November 2003).
•
At the Labour Party Conference in
2000, The Prime Minister promised a three-year programme to spend £750 million
on school sport facilities. To
date only £41 million has actually been spent.
•
Less than one third of our schools
currently offer their pupils a minimum two hours of curriculum PE and after
school
sport.
•
There are currently 1.28 million
obese children in England.1
Obesity in two to ten year-olds
has increased by 50 per
cent under Labour.
Liberal Democrat Policy
Liberal Democrat policy is to
interfere, encroaching on parental responsibility. One of the Liberal Democrats
‘key proposals’
is to reform ‘the role of PE teachers so that they become PE ‘co-ordinators’, delivering information about fitness and healthy
eating’ (Personal Best, Policy on Sport & Fitness, June 2004).
What the Conservatives will do
•
In addition to the target of two
hours’ sport during school hours, our new Club2School policy will offer every
child two
hours’ free sports coaching in
their chosen sport every week. Sport forms an important part of improving school
discipline.
• The voluntary scheme will put local sports clubs at the heart of sport provision for school children.
• This radical approach will make available up to £250 million per year for local sports clubs so that they can deliver afterschool
sport.
• Every sport recognised by Sport England will be eligible for the initiative. Children and young people will be able to
choose what sports they take part in, according to provision in their local area. Funding will be in direct relation to the
number of children that participate. National governing bodies will be key partners in the programme.
Less talk, more action.
Gordon Henderson