Physical education. Greens MSPs will work with local authorities to provide quality sport and physical activity throughout the curriculum. The majority of children should leave school able to run, jump, throw, catch and swim, with teachers supported to deliver a physical education open to young people of all physical abilities. Evidence indicates few young women continue sport after school. Schools should offer a variety of sports to suit the needs of their pupils and girls should also have the option of gender-segregated classes and a range of sports kit.
Community sport. Scotland has 13,000 sports clubs, 900,000 members and almost 200,000 people dedicated to volunteering in sport. As well as fun and enjoyment, sports clubs bring great benefits to people and society. Green MSPs support the expansion of Scotland’s sports clubs through support for volunteering, accessible facilities and funding to enable more women, minority ethnic communities, the BME community and disabled people to participate.
Ending sectarianism. There is no place for sectarianism in Scottish football, however Scottish Greens believe that the Offensive Behaviour in Football Act (2012) unnecessarily restricts freedom of expression and is not the most effective means of addressing these concerns. We support the repeal of the Act and instead would support fans to take action against sectarianism in their own clubs through fan ownership.
Tackling discrimination. Further action should also be taken to address discrimination and inequality affecting LGBTI+ people in sport in the light of ongoing discrimination including homophobia and transphobia in sporting communities.
Places for sport. Good quality, accessible, well-staffed and well-maintained health and leisure centres should be available to all and outdoor playing fields should be protected by law. Spaces for physical activity should be accessible to those who don’t want to participate in competitive sport. Green MSPs will continue to champion the value of accessible sports facilities and open space for everyone’s wellbeing.
Investment. The Scottish Government’s budget has cut sport funding from £71.8m last year to £45.8m in 2016-17. We commit to campaigning for a steady level of investment into sportscotland to facilitate long-term planning and support of high-performance sport. We will explore conditional funding for national sporting bodies to incentivise increased diversity of the athlete talent pool.
