Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Gove and Karl McCartney

Monday 6th January 2014 Commons Chamber

[Michael Gove]

I will look closely at the particular case that the hon. Gentleman raises. I know that he has been an effective champion for good school provision in Newark, and I shall ensure that I look closely at the pupil numbers to which he alludes.

[Karl MᶜCartney (Lincoln) (Con)]

3. What steps his Department is taking to improve the quality and quantity of apprenticeships.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Gove and Karl McCartney

Monday 3rd September 2012 Commons Chamber

[Karl MᶜCartney (Lincoln) (Con)]

13. What steps he is taking to ensure the development of sport in schools.

[The Secretary of State for Education (Michael Gove)]

Sport should be a central part of any school. Great schools know that sporting and cultural opportunities go hand in hand with high academic standards. We are introducing a revised programme of study for physical education with a greater focus on competitive sport. We are also encouraging more schools to sign up for the highly successful school games. We will make a statement about further measures shortly.

[Karl MᶜCartney]

I thank my right hon. Friend for that energetic answer. Does he agree that the Government need to focus on improving competition in school sport to counter the culture that existed under the previous Labour Government whereby teachers sought to reward all competitors for fear of dividing children into winners and losers? [Interruption.]

[Michael Gove]

Judging by the reaction from the Labour Benches, that question was, to use a fencing term, a palpable hit. I agree that it is important that we support the growth of competitive and team sports in all our schools. One of the things I have been most impressed by when visiting state schools is the way so many of them are using academy freedoms to provide not only greater facilities but more sporting opportunities for our young people.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Gove and Karl McCartney

Monday 21st November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Michael Gove]

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for essentially advocating that we subsidise the expansion of grammar schools. I look forward to that becoming the policy of Labour Front Benchers.

[Karl MᶜCartney (Lincoln) (Con)]

10. What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the introduction of the English baccalaureate.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Gove and Karl McCartney

Monday 11th July 2011 Commons Chamber

[Michael Gove]

The hon. Gentleman was a great FE principal and is a superb advocate for further education. We will do everything we can to accelerate this process.

[Karl MᶜCartney (Lincoln) (Con)]

T10. Will my right hon. Friend join me in congratulating the five schools in my city of Lincoln constituency that have converted into academies, the latest being Ermine primary school? Does he agree that academy status can bring significant benefits to schools across England by providing them with greater freedoms, rather than top-down bureaucracy, as was witnessed under the previous Labour Government?