Vol. 398 No. 2
29 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Education if she will establish a working party to review the existing arrangements for physical education in our primary schools and to make recommendations to improve its place on the curriculum.
46 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Education if she will appoint a fully qualified physical education teacher to the permanent staff of each school with at least 300 pupils; if she will also ensure that such posts are provided on a shared basis for smaller schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 29 and 46 together. As the remit of the Primary Curriculum Review Body covers the whole primary curriculum, I would not wish to pre-empt its recommendations and, therefore, have no plans to establish a working party to review the existing arrangements for physical education. All recommendations of the review body will be given careful consideration.
In the case of post-primary schools it is a matter for the managerial authorities to determine what teachers of particular subjects are to be employed within the allocation of teachers warranted by the pupil/teacher ratio permissible.
I have no plans to make special provision for the allocation of physical education posts to schools outside the normal allocation of posts warranted by the pupil/teacher ratio in operation.
