Exclusive: Campbell hopeful of primary school sport investment ahead of Government announcement
Youth Sport Trust (YST) chair Baroness Sue Campbell claimed she is hopeful that there will be a big investment in primary school sport with Education Secretary Michael Gove set to make a major announcement on the issue later this month.
Gove's Department for Education (DfE), who assume responsibility for school sport in the UK, have often come under criticism from the physical education sector, particularly in their first Comprehensive Spending Review in October 2010 when they announced the entire £162 million funding for the School Sports Partnerships would be axed.
The move was met by such a fierce wave of protests from teachers, pupils and Olympic athletes that the Government had to partially backtrack on the decision and reinstall some of the funding for a period.
Following the success of London 2012, there have been renewed calls for more investment in school sport to help continue the legacy drive of the Games and with Gove's school sport announcement scheduled for next week, Campbell said she wants to see a boost for primary schools.
"Listening to the headteachers and school sport leaders here, there is a real recognition that we need to do something around primary school physical education," Campbell told insidethegames at the Youth Sport Trust 2013 Conference here.
"That doesn't mean to say that there isn't still work to be done in secondary schools because there is.
"But at secondary school level, there are some existing structures in place and tools such as the School Games which they can use.
"But in primary schools, everybody acknowledges that if we don't get it right, then we are not laying the foundations for health and we are not laying the foundations for sport for young children.
"So we would hope that the announcement will represent some significant investment in primary physical education."
Campbell, who is also UK Sport chair, admitted it would have been better to see the announcement come straight after London 2012 to help build on the momentum of the successful Olympics and Paralympics.
Gove's Department for Education (DfE), who assume responsibility for school sport in the UK, have often come under criticism from the physical education sector, particularly in their first Comprehensive Spending Review in October 2010 when they announced the entire £162 million funding for the School Sports Partnerships would be axed.
The move was met by such a fierce wave of protests from teachers, pupils and Olympic athletes that the Government had to partially backtrack on the decision and reinstall some of the funding for a period.
Following the success of London 2012, there have been renewed calls for more investment in school sport to help continue the legacy drive of the Games and with Gove's school sport announcement scheduled for next week, Campbell said she wants to see a boost for primary schools.
"Listening to the headteachers and school sport leaders here, there is a real recognition that we need to do something around primary school physical education," Campbell told insidethegames at the Youth Sport Trust 2013 Conference here.
"That doesn't mean to say that there isn't still work to be done in secondary schools because there is.
"But at secondary school level, there are some existing structures in place and tools such as the School Games which they can use.
"But in primary schools, everybody acknowledges that if we don't get it right, then we are not laying the foundations for health and we are not laying the foundations for sport for young children.
"So we would hope that the announcement will represent some significant investment in primary physical education."
Campbell, who is also UK Sport chair, admitted it would have been better to see the announcement come straight after London 2012 to help build on the momentum of the successful Olympics and Paralympics.
Education Secretary Michael Gove will make an announcement on school sport this month, although he has been widely criticised with a lack of commitment on the issue"But in the end, if it is the right announcement, a good announcement and it offers the right kind of investment, then I think we can get on with it," she said.
"I think any impatience from schools over the announcement is them wanting to know that at the Government level, school sport does matter and that it hasn't been forgotten.
"It is just a desire to push on.
"So that it is the right announcement for school sport is far more important than the timing."
The YST chair also looked to play down any rift with Gove, who has come constant under attack at the conference in Telford for his lack of commitment to school sport.
"I think we do have to get away from personalising this too much and focusing on a particular individual," she said.
"This is a Government responsibility and that means the Department of Education, the Department of Health and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
It is not just the responsibility of one person and one Department; it is a responsibility of everyone in Government from the Prime Minister down.
"I think it is dangerous if it gets too personalised against an individual and that certainly isn't helpful for anyone.
"This issue is much too important than that.
"This can't be me against an individual or an individual against me because that is nonsense.
"We want the Government to work coherently with us for the good of young people in schools."
This article was taken from Inside the games and written by Tom Deggun, contact him at tom.degun@insidethegames.biz
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