Gordon Brown MP was back in school yesterday as he told west Fife children of the hardest decision he had to make when he was Prime Minister.
Mr Brown, who represents Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, told pupils at Dalgety Bay Primary School that this was dealing with the global financial crisis.
He also said that Brazil must be favourites to lift the World Cup, as he talked to parents at the school’s sports day.
The former Prime Minister has been spending time getting round schools in west Fife and yesterday visited both Dalgety Bay and Donibristle primaries.
In Dalgety Bay Primary, Mr Brown, who is a keen football fan, met parents and pupils at the sports day and had a kickabout with the finalists of the school world cup tournament.
The pupils had split into 16 teams with each taking a country from the World Cup.
Mr Brown joined the finalists, who were Mexico and Germany, for a pre-match talk.
He answered questions from four pupils, including one about what was his most difficult decision when he was Prime Minister.
Mr Brown asked the children if they had heard of the “financial crisis” and explained what he had done to address it.
“This was when we had the Royal Bank of Scotland/Halifax collapse so we had to make sure that every person in this country had protection so that people’s savings were not lost,” he said.
“The most difficult thing to do was to try to reduce the deficit and make people’s money safe.”
Another pupil asked Mr Brown what influenced him to enter politics and he explained how he was brought up in Kirkcaldy where there had once been a thriving linoleum industry but how the area became synonymous with unemployment.
“There was so much unemployment when I grew up that I said to myself I wanted to do something about it,” he added.
“I was educated at Kirkcaldy High School and then went to Edinburgh University and then into politics.”InfluencedMr Brown was also asked who had influenced him and said teachers had done so.
“I was asked this question by my wife, Sarah, and know that the same thing applied to Sir Alex Ferguson who said the main influence in his life was his first teacher,” he added.
“You never forget your first teacher. I can remember the names of my teachers.”
At Donibristle Primary, Mr Brown saw first hand the new approach being taken to supporting games, sport and leisure as part of the wider curriculum.
The school is a leader in designing new approaches to pupil centred physical activity.
Mr Brown said, “The benefits of an active lifestyle are now well understood and these schools are ensuring a solid foundation for the pupils.
“I am so impressed by the sheer energy and enthusiasm of everyone involved in Fife schools.
“Young people are the future and that is why we can be so proud of the work going on in these schools.”