HC Deb 17 November 2000 vol 356 c828W
Dr. Julian Lewis

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what recent assessment he has made of the role of competitive sports in secondary education. [134936]

Jacqui Smith

Competitive sports in schools play an important role in providing extra-curricular physical activity for schoolchildren. They are a compulsory part of the National Curriculum for Physical Education for pupils aged between 5 and 14 and are one of the options for pupils aged 14 to 16. HMCI's Annual Report looked at a sample of 115 primary schools and 53 secondary schools, and without exception, all secondary schools provided opportunities to participate in extra-curricular sports, and three quarters of primary schools provided similar opportunities for the older range of pupils. As part of the Government's Sports Strategy. the first phase of School Sports Co-ordinators has just been established. They will work with families of primary and secondary schools in areas of greatest need to provide children with even more opportunities to compete and participate in a wide range of school sports, and will also promote school team competitions.