§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether she plans to make sport in schools part of the everyday curriculum. [71932]
§ Stephen TwiggPhysical Education (PE) remains a compulsory subject within the National Curriculum at all Key Stages. Our Public Service Agreement target, announced on 15 July, is that by 2006 we will have enhanced the take-up of PE and sporting opportunities by 5 to 16 year olds by increasing the percentage of pupils in schools who spend a minimum of two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum to 75 per cent.
It is for individual schools and their governing bodies to decide how they utilise their timetable to cover the National Curriculum and there is no reason why schools cannot choose to provide PE and sport every day, if this best meets the learning needs of the pupils.
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§ Stephen TwiggThe Government's White PaperSchools: achieving success contained the pledge that over time, all primary school pupils who wanted to should have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. The Music Standards Fund was introduced in 1999 to protect and expand LEA Music Services. Between 1999–2000 and 2003–04 total funding of £270 million has been made available to Music Services across England via the Music Standards Fund. LEAs may spend Music Standards Fund in any way which enhances the opportunities for pupils to access musical education of high quality. It is not intended to provide music lessons for musicians.
There is no requirement for LEAs to inform the Department whether Music Standards Fund has been used to increase access to and take up of music lessons for pupils from low-income families. It is for LEAs and individual schools to decide whether to operate a charging policy for instrumental music lessons provided outside of the National Curriculum, and we do not currently hold data on this.