Top marks to Nicky Morgan as she removes guideline for schools suggesting running as a punishment

Well done and thank you to Nicky Morgan MP, Secretary of State for Education, who has removed a Department of Education guideline for schools suggesting running as a punishment.

Just over six months ago, new guidelines from the Department for Education were announced that encouraged schools to punish kids with “extra physical activity such as running around a playing field”.

Following a campaign through Run Group, more than 10,000 signatures were gained and yesterday Nicky (pictured attending a Leadership in Running Fitness course in Loughborough) responded to a private letter from David Moorcroft, Interim Chair of Run Group, on the issue saying: “I share your view that it threatens to have a negative impact on the sport and on the view young people take of it. One of my priorities as Secretary of State is to encourage schools to do what they can to build the resilience and character of our young people, and I see sport as playing a crucial role in this.” She added “I have therefore asked officials to revise the guidance immediately and to remove any suggestion that running might be used as a form of punishment. A new version of the document – minus the offending clause – will be issued on the Department’s website by the end of the week.”

Run Group is a strategic collaboration of key running organisations who share the objective of getting more people to run more often and in doing so work actively together to remove barriers that might prevent access to participation. England Athletics is a partner in this national collaboration.

Nicky Morgan is an active member of the running community. She has run the London Marathon, is a trained Run England Group Leader and has helped to establish Loughborough parkrun.

David Moorcroft said: “Well done Nicky Morgan. She understood from the start why this mattered and has delivered a change on an issue that could have had a negative impact on running for future generations. As a former PE teacher who remembers the ‘bad old days’, the inclusion of such a sanction had been particularly disappointing given the Olympic and Paralympic Legacy objective of encouraging participation in school sports and wider society. I am delighted that has now been rectified.”

Well done to all those who helped with this campaign.