Extra school sport costs £100m a minute - Foster

5 May 2008

The average time spent by schoolchildren on sport has only increased by 14 minutes in four years despite £1.4 billion of government funding, research by the Liberal Democrats has found.
 
Commenting on the figures, Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Don Foster said:
 
“These figures make it clear that Gordon Brown’s promise to provide five hours of school sport a week is nothing more than wishful thinking.
 
“If we’re ever going to address the obesity problems in this country then Ministers must ensure that sport is given a much higher priority in the curriculum.
 
“The London Olympics should be used to inspire the next generation of athletes, but these figures suggest the Government is set to squander the sporting legacy it could offer.”
 
Notes
 
1. The average number of minutes that children spend taking part in PE a week during curriculum time has only increased from 101 minutes in 2003/4 to 115 minutes in 2006/7 - an increase of only 14 minutes. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2008-04-23b.200785.h&s=don+foster#g200785.q0 
 
2. Over £1.4 billion has been spent on PE and school sport from the lottery, DCMS and DCSF between 2003/4 to 2006/7.  This amounts to almost £100 million (£98 million) for each minute.
<http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2008-05-01a.203022.h&s=don+foster#g203022.q0>
 
3. Gordon Brown recently announced a further £100 million for schools to offer children 5 hours school sport each week.  Based on progress so far, that would only enable the average number of minutes that children spend taking part in PE during curriculum time number to increase by approximately 1 minute.
<http://www.culture.gov.uk/Reference_library/Press_notices/archive_2007/dcms085_07.htm>
 
4. 31.6 per cent. of primary (5,445) and 65.4 per cent. of secondary (2,174) schools still do not provide at least two hours of curriculum time PE each week, for all pupils.
<http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2008-04-21b.198329.h&s=don+foster#g198329.q0>

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About Mr Don Foster