§ Lord Northbourneasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to provide activities such as sport and outdoor adventure pursuits so as to provide outlets for the aggression and energy which are normal characteristics of adolescent males. [HL1200]
§ Baroness Ashton of UphollandPE and school sport, including outdoor and adventurous activities, play an important role in school life. They help to raise standards, improve attendance, behaviour and health and help to develop social skills.
The Government are committing over £1 billion to implement a national PE, School Sport and Club Links strategy. We want all children to spend at least two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport and have set an ambitious joint DfES/DCMS to increase the percentage of 5–16 year olds who receive this entitlement to 75 per cent by 2006.
Outdoor and adventurous activities are one of six areas of activity for which programmes of study have been drawn up within the national curriculum for physical education.
In addition, the Positive Activities for Young People programme is designed to divert and develop those young people aged eight to 19 most at risk of social exclusion and committing crime. It is being delivered across England from May 2003 to March 2006; £25 million is available for the first year of the programme. This will deliver a minimum 22,000 places from midday to 9.00 pm each day of the school holidays.
Provision will take place in all of the school holiday periods. In addition to the activities themselves, one to one support is available for the young people most at risk. The activities cover sport, the arts, and education and personal development. The sport activities include, among others; canoeing; climbing; abseiling and sailing. A residential experience is used as a reward to encourage young people to participate in the programme or to modify their behaviour, for example, by improving their attendance at school.