Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 10 December 2013
10 Dec 2013 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Youth Sport Strategy
Obviously, I am pleased to hear that.
We have not yet identified a strategic way to develop sports that suit Scotland. The figures show that fewer young people are taking part in sport of their own volition, and that cannot all be explained by the PC-in-the-bedroom generation, because the same generation exists in Scandinavia and elsewhere. Although some other countries find it difficult to get young people to take part in active sport, countries that are more like us than we care to remind ourselves of, such as Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the Baltic countries, have become experts in the sports that suit their terrain and climate.
We still try to be world beaters at sports that we can never be world beaters at, although every so often somebody good will pop up. We could have a greater number of people performing at a higher level if we chose the right sports. Why do we not concentrate on winter sports? We are world beaters at them. Why do we not choose sailing? Why not boxing? We are good at that, so we should sort out how we feel about it. Why do we not choose orienteering? We are made for sports like that, but we have not thought too much about it. We might get more people involved in those sports, but we have not tried. We have tried football, rugby and other commonly played field sports, but people do not hang on to them—only a minority of people continue playing them after they have left school. I ask the minister to take a wider look at sports.
Absolutely fundamentally, I want the minister to look again at PE in schools. She has done a great deal on that and much has been said about it. It is now fashionable to believe in PE but, as Ken Macintosh asked, why is it an also-ran or tack-on subject in educating our children? Why do some people still look at me and think that I am daft because I am just a drillie? It is because there has been and is a terrible snobbery in Scottish education and in school classrooms. The PE teacher has been derided as the thick one. Members have asked why PE does not have the status that it should have—
We have not yet identified a strategic way to develop sports that suit Scotland. The figures show that fewer young people are taking part in sport of their own volition, and that cannot all be explained by the PC-in-the-bedroom generation, because the same generation exists in Scandinavia and elsewhere. Although some other countries find it difficult to get young people to take part in active sport, countries that are more like us than we care to remind ourselves of, such as Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the Baltic countries, have become experts in the sports that suit their terrain and climate.
We still try to be world beaters at sports that we can never be world beaters at, although every so often somebody good will pop up. We could have a greater number of people performing at a higher level if we chose the right sports. Why do we not concentrate on winter sports? We are world beaters at them. Why do we not choose sailing? Why not boxing? We are good at that, so we should sort out how we feel about it. Why do we not choose orienteering? We are made for sports like that, but we have not thought too much about it. We might get more people involved in those sports, but we have not tried. We have tried football, rugby and other commonly played field sports, but people do not hang on to them—only a minority of people continue playing them after they have left school. I ask the minister to take a wider look at sports.
Absolutely fundamentally, I want the minister to look again at PE in schools. She has done a great deal on that and much has been said about it. It is now fashionable to believe in PE but, as Ken Macintosh asked, why is it an also-ran or tack-on subject in educating our children? Why do some people still look at me and think that I am daft because I am just a drillie? It is because there has been and is a terrible snobbery in Scottish education and in school classrooms. The PE teacher has been derided as the thick one. Members have asked why PE does not have the status that it should have—
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-08546, in the name of Shona Robison, on the youth sport strategy.16:59
The Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport (Shona Robison)
SNP
I am delighted to address Parliament on “Giving children and young people a sporting chance: a draft Strategy for Scotland”, which we published yesterday.Ear...
Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD)
LD
I agree with the sports minister about the principle of giving young people opportunities. Does she recognise that in outlying areas an argument is being mad...
Shona Robison
SNP
I am happy to take that point on board and to give it further consideration.The draft strategy sets out in some detail what we are doing, collectively, and w...
Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (Lab)
Lab
I am sure that the minister is aware, in presenting those statistics, that when the Parliament was established very few new PE teachers were being recruited....
Shona Robison
SNP
I am sure that that is true, to some extent. What is also true is that the priority that is given to PE, particularly in the primary sector, is now far more ...
Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
Will the minister give way?
Shona Robison
SNP
I will do so in a second. If we were to remove that resource, the quantity and quality of PE that children in primary schools get would be drastically reduce...
Liz Smith
Con
I thank the minister for that comment. Quality is extremely important. Parents want PE to be provided by qualified PE instructors. When I made a freedom of i...
Shona Robison
SNP
PE specialists have an important role to play, particularly in supporting classroom teachers and in creating links between secondary schools and their feeder...
Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (Lab)
Lab
I am pleased to speak in the debate. For reasons that will become clear later, I am also pleased that the minister chose the quotation that she did from Nels...
Shona Robison
SNP
I welcome Patricia Ferguson’s comments on the role of classroom teachers. Does she not recognise the huge progress that has been made towards all schools ach...
Patricia Ferguson
Lab
Progress is always to be welcomed, but we must recognise the challenges that remain. We would be doing the young people about whom we are talking a huge diss...
Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I thank the minister for writing to the relevant spokesmen in the parties back in October to ask us to give some input. I congratulate the young people who h...
Shona Robison
SNP
In the 2011 manifesto, we recognised that the classroom teacher is a key resource in delivering PE. I absolutely acknowledge that now. I hope that Liz Smith ...
Liz Smith
Con
Absolutely. I think that the two are complementary. The fact remains that specialist PE teachers were mentioned in the SNP manifesto. There must have been a ...
Stewart Maxwell (West Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I welcome the launch of the Scottish Government’s draft strategy on youth sport and the opportunity to take part in today’s debate. It is appropriate that th...
Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab)
Lab
Many of us are using this afternoon’s debate to pay our own personal tribute to the life of Nelson Mandela, in particular his powerful and resonant message a...
Shona Robison
SNP
I am not sure that I agree with the vision that Ken Macintosh painted of facilities. When I look around me, I see fantastic new facilities not just in the we...
Ken Macintosh
Lab
I absolutely welcome new facilities every time that they are opened. However, I am conscious that we are still losing parks, playgrounds and tennis courts. J...
The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)
NPA
You will need to make it quickly.
Ken Macintosh
Lab
In those years, a catastrophic falling-off occurs in participation in sport, particularly among girls. It does not have to be that way. If we take the exampl...
Aileen McLeod (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I welcome the opportunity to speak and I welcome the launch of the consultation on the draft strategy. I thank the young people’s sport panel for its work an...
Margo MacDonald (Lothian) (Ind)
Ind
I have an interest to declare—I am the Parliament’s one qualified specialist PE teacher. I might have two sticks these days, but I would not even be going ar...
Shona Robison
SNP
The strategy is about giving young people the core skills so that they can go on to enjoy sport, a by-product of which will be a healthier life. The quality ...
Margo MacDonald
Ind
Obviously, I am pleased to hear that.We have not yet identified a strategic way to develop sports that suit Scotland. The figures show that fewer young peopl...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Can I ask you to wind up, please?
Margo MacDonald
Ind
I have said my piece. Thank you, Presiding Officer.
The Presiding Officer
NPA
You are very welcome, Ms MacDonald.17:42
Colin Keir (Edinburgh Western) (SNP)
SNP
I welcome the strategy for youth sports and in particular the input by the young people’s sport panel. It is good that those whom we want to encourage to par...