London 2012 Olympics: David Cameron says too many top British athletes went to public school
David Cameron has expressed concern that the British Olympic team is too dominated by privately-educated athletes because of a failure by state schools to encourage sporting excellence.
David Cameron has expressed concern that the British Olympic team is too dominated by privately-educated athletes because of a failure by state schools to encourage sporting excellence.
The controversial remarks come days days ahead of the start of the Olympics. The Prime Minister questioned why it was that independent schools accounted for "more than their fair share of medal winners".
But one British Olympic hopeful said Mr Cameron should not "knock" public schools and accused him of unfairly criticising all athletes when only a small number of sports were dominated by athletes educated at private school.
Mr Cameron said he wanted to redress this balance, and use this month's Olympics in London to inspire more state school children to take up sport.
Around a third of the athletes competing at the Olympics are thought to be privately educated, despite the Government spending over £1billion in recent years to encourage state school pupils to become top athletes.
In some of the most successful sports such as rowing, modern pentathlon and sailing, those educated at fee-paying schools the proportion could be even greater.
Public school educated athletes who are set to appear in the Olympics include sailor Ben Ainslie, who attended Truro School in Cornwall and cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, who attended George Watson's College in Edinburgh.
In a speech in Loughborough, Mr Cameron said he was worried about the high proportion of athletes who went to fee-paying schools. He said: "Sport can change lives. So why is it that, in so many schools, sport has been squeezed out and facilities run down?
"The result is that independent schools produce more than their fair share of medal winners, and too many children think taking part in sport just isn't for them. We've got to change that."
He pointed to the example of state school-educated British athletes who are tipped for gold this month, such as runner Mo Farah who went to Feltham Community College in west London, and cyclist Victoria Pendleton, who attended a comprehensive school in Letchworth, Herts.
He said: "I'm not claiming one Olympics will turn every child into tomorrow's Mo Farah or Victoria Pendleton. But just look where our great athletes have come from: Seb Coe started running with the Hallamshire Harriers. Amir Khan started boxing at Bury ABC."
He said he wanted the Olympics to be used to break down barriers which stop poorer children from becoming elite sports stars.
Mr Cameron said he wanted to increase the number of after school sports clubs at secondary and primary schools from 7,500 to 13,500 by 2015.
He added: "It's not just about helping young people develop a sporting habit for life. We've got to nurture the best talents for the future, too"
At the Beijing Games in 2008, 37 per cent of those who brought home medals benefited from some form of fee-paying education.
Of the rowers and sailors who won medals at Beijing, 50 per cent were educated at fee-paying schools, including every medal winner in equestrian events.
Last night, Sally Gunnell, the Olympic hurdling gold medalist who went to a state school in Chigwell, said public school children were given an advantage because they were taught by specialist sports teachers.
She said: "With athletics, it boils down to enthusiastic teachers. I do wonder whether independent schools have more specialist teachers and smaller classes.
"Maybe that is why they engage kids at a young age more. So often in primary schools you just have a generic teacher who is teaching them every subject and they don't know enough basic skills to teach sport."
Britain was missing out on a talent pool of disadvantaged pupils who could make better athletes, she said.
He said: "With independent schools, some of these kids have had very privileged lives. Some of the best athletes would come through the state system and from rough areas - they are the ones you've got to get."
But Lawrence Clarke, an Old Etonian and an heir to a baronetcy who will represent Great Britain in the 110m hurdles at the Olympics, told The Daily Telegraph: "It is a very specific set of sports that have an over-representation.
"You shouldn't knock the public schools that create these athletes but the problem is there isn't enough funding within the state sector to provide for some sports.
"I agree with Cameron's point but it is on specifics - athletics is the polar opposite from sports like rowing, sailing, equestrianism and shooting."
He said that while horse riding and tennis were the preserve of athletes who went to private schools, athletics was not because "anyone can run on a piece of grass".
Sir Clive Woodward, the former England rugby coach and Team GB's deputy chef de mission, added: "Sport to me is all-inclusive and I would encourage it for everyone, including people from state schools.
"I can only back up what David Cameron said. It is a no-brainer - of course you want to do that."
Sue Campbell, the chairman of UK Sport, said it was often luck if talented children at state schools became top athletes.
She said: "State schools might have a PE teacher but they don't have someone to manage the after school opportunities, to hire some coaches, to organize the inter school sport, that is what is missing in state schools.
"This means athletes from state schools get there by 'happen chance' - they happen to chance upon a coach and a sport where they are given good coaching, whereas the independent schools have structured, clear pathways and quality coaching."
Following the publication of the Telegraph's report of Mr Cameron's speech, Olympic rower Andrew Triggs Hodge wrote on Twitter:
"Then perhaps the government should take sport in state schools more seriously? Not that I ever excelled at school sport."
Mr Triggs Hodge attended a secondary school in north Yorkshire and only took up rowing when he studied a masters degree at Oxford in Water Sciences policy.
Mr Cameron said he wanted the UK to "break records" in the legacy of the Games, and insisted that none of the Olympic infrastructure would be "white elephants".
He said he expects the Olympics and Paralympics to boost the UK's economy by £13 billion over the next four years – far more than the £9.5billion cost of the Games.
He said he had asked the British Olympic Association and the International Olympic Committee to relax marketing rules and let firms boast about their work at the Games.
Mr Cameron added that he was convinced that despite other Olympic cities failing to find uses for Olympics facilities there would be "no white elephants" in London.
He said: "With mix of permanent and temporary facilities, we will only be left with what we can use. We mean what we say when we say no white elephants."
David Cameron says too many top British athletes went to public school - Telegraph
