David Blunkett praises pioneering scheme

Blunkett Launches Homework Clubs

Mr Blunkett praised the new initiative, spearheaded by the West Yorkshire Playhouse, when he opened the five homework clubs in Leeds.

Staff at the Playhouse joined forces with sportsmen from Leeds United to provide sports and arts coaching for youngsters after school.

The aim is to motivate youngsters to learn as well as focusing on the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic.

Mr Blunkett said imaginative out-of-school activities could be linked to the government's drive to improve standards and opportunities in schools.

"The initiative and innovation here today dovetail with our after-school homework and childcare proposals and the summer literacy schools highlighted so vividly by Tony Blair last Thursday.

"Taken together we are forging a new alliance which makes education interesting and exciting, and success available to many not just the few."

The government announced in July that it wanted to use National Lottery funding for after-school homework clubs and a Department of Education and Employment spokesman said the Leeds projects were good examples of how future schemes could be run.

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