The United Kingdom’s school sports program has been canceled, igniting criticism from many proponents of the program who are accusing the government of betraying the promises it made to citizens during the country’s bidding process for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Baroness Sue Campbell, chairwoman of the Youth Sports Trust, believes the recent budget decisions will “decimate” the gains made in the past decade for school sports.
“This is in direct contradiction of the promises Seb [Coe] made,” said Campbell. “The biggest promise we made in Singapore was to bring sport to life for children at home and around the world. We are doing that abroad through the International Inspiration program while we are decimating it at home a year before the Games. It’s incomprehensible.”
The government is currently dealing with severe reductions in the funding allocated for capital projects through Sport England, however, members are concerned that the budget cuts will negatively impact their grassroots programs.
“This doesn’t just affect sport in schools,” said Campbell. “Over the last 10 years this has become a very important route through which governing bodies deliver their grassroots strategies. That’s particularly true of Olympic sport. The school sports partnerships have become an integral part of sports provision.”
Criticism has also been received from counties abroad regarding the government’s decision to reallocate the funding and concentrate on encouraging competitive sports in schools.
“I am absolutely devastated to hear of the cuts to the school sport partnership models,” said Wenda Donaldson, director of community sports at the Australian Sports Commission. “I am astounded that such an amazing and world-leading initiative has been lost to the communities it serviced.”
