Mr. Michael J. FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received concerning the teaching of sport in schools. [63441]
§ Mr. BanksSince 1 May 1997, 1 have received about 80 letters about sport in schools and the physical education National Curriculum. These have come from professional organisations such as the CCPR and BAALPE, University lecturers, head teachers and members of the public. Almost all of these have been about the importance of the teaching of physical education and sport in schools and support my view that physical education and sport is an essential part of youth development. While fully supporting the current emphasis on numeracy and literacy, I know how important sport and PE are; not only as subjects in their own right, but as having a positive impact on cognitive development and on classroom and academic performance. That is why I am delighted that sport and PE still have to be taught in primary schools, while allowing flexibility by relaxing the detailed programmes of study. We are working closely with the Department for Education and Employment to ensure that PE and sport remain an important part of the curriculum.
There are of course a number of initiatives underway to promote sport in schools, many of which are co-ordinated by the English Sports Council (ESC) under its National Junior Sports Programme (NJSP). This is a major programme which provides a framework within which schools, local authorities, governing bodies of 681W sport, sports clubs and youth organisations can work together to provide quality sporting opportunities for 4 to 18-year-olds in a planned and co-ordinated way. It is intended to reinforce and build on good practice, to support teachers and to provide an important profile for the work they are doing. ESC initiatives include the Sportsmark award scheme, the Sporting Ambassadors scheme, the development of an Activity award for primary schools and proposals for Community Sports Co-ordinators.