asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many additional specialist physical education staff are to be employed for each of the years 2006 to 2010 to meet the commitment to ensure that all United Kingdom school children have at least four hours sport inside the school curriculum each week. [HL47]
Initial teacher training places allocated for physical education in England in 2006-07 are 1,310 and in 2007-08 are 1,180, reflecting the continuing decline in pupil numbers over this period. Allocations for later years have not yet been decided, but our supply modelling will take account of schools’ needs and the national school sport strategy.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which subjects are to be dropped from the national curriculum to make way for their commitment of 25 October to raise the number of hours of sport offered to children within the curriculum to at least four hours by 2010: and [HL191]
What estimates they have made of the additional cost to the public purse of their commitment to offer children within the curriculum at least four hours of sport by 2010 over the years between now and the hosting of the London Olympic Games in 2012; and [HL193]
Whether they held negotiations with the relevant trade unions regarding the additional staffing and skills required to achieve their target of providing all school children with at least four hours of sport within the curriculum by 2010. [HL194]
The Government announced their long-term ambition for PE and school sport in December 2004. The main aim is that by 2010 all children will be offered at least four hours of sport a week. This will comprise two hours of high-quality PE and sport at school, and the opportunity for at least a further two to three hours beyond the school day, delivered by a range of school, community and club providers. Additional funding of £519 million has been committed to deliver on this ambition in 2006-07 and 2007-08. Funding for future years will be announced following the outcome of the next Comprehensive Spending Review.
No national curriculum subjects will be dropped from the curriculum in order to deliver the 2010 ambition.
We have held no negotiations with the teachers’ unions specifically about the 2010 ambition. Any demand for additional teachers to deliver the school elements of the 2010 ambition will be taken into account, as normal, by the teacher supply modelling exercise. The PE and school sport professional development programme will ensure that teachers have the skills and expertise they need to continue to deliver high-quality PE and school sport for young people.