Michael Creed
Question:11 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science his plans to increase funding for physical education programmes in primary and post-primary schools. [28234/01]
Other Questions. - Physical Education.
I refer the Deputy to the primary schools sports initiative, which I launched earlier this year. While we are on the subject, if the Chair will allow, does anybody know the result of the game?
Next summer we will be watching Ireland in the World Cup. While the match ended in a one-nil defeat, Ireland qualifies on a two-one aggregate.
That is great news. I am much relieved. Congratulations to the Irish team. I am sure this view is shared by everyone present because to come out with a result of one-nil with 120,000 people cheering against the team is not easy.
It is like an Ard Fheis.
Is the Minister sorry now he did not allow the schools a half day?
We left it up to them.
I refer the Deputy to the primary schools sports initiative, which I launched earlier this year. This initiative will help to promote physical education and healthy lifestyles in primary schools. A pilot project is being developed in selected schools early in the new year. The purpose of the pilot project is to prepare the way for the roll-out of the new primary school physical education syllabus.
I have established a task force chaired by the well-known Dublin footballer, Charlie Redmond. This task force will provide assistance in promoting sport and healthy lifestyles among primary school children. I have also appointed a national sports co-ordinator and two assistant co-ordinators to work with the task force. This initiative, together with the revised primary curriculum, will enhance PE provision in our primary schools.
I introduced an annual physical education grant for all primary schools last year. Under the terms of this grant all schools designated as disadvantaged and schools in the rural phase of the Breaking the Cycle scheme will receive an annual grant of £1,000, 1,269.74, per school while all other schools will receive £500, 634.87, per school. Circular 28/00 which issued from my Department to all schools in October 2000 outlines specific materials or activities on which schools may spend this grant. This year's grant, amounting to £1.858 million, 2,359 million, issued to all primary schools in March 2001.
In June 1999 the Government directed that suitable provision be made for PE facilities when new second level schools are being planned or when existing schools are being extended. This initiative means that all new schools which have an enrolment in excess of 450 students qualify for a PE hall of 608mf7>2. Likewise, when an existing school does not have a PE hall, provision is made for a PE hall of 608mf7>2. This area refers to the floor area of the hall and does not take account of ancillary accommodation, which can add in excess of a further 200mf7>2 to the overall size of the facility.
Schools which have an enrolment of between 200 and 449 students qualify for a PE hall of 406mf7>2. Ancillary accommodation can add a further 200mf7>2 of accommodation to this floor area giving a total area in excess of 600mf7>2. The needs of smaller schools for PE facilities are assessed on a case by case basis.
The needs of schools that do not have a PE hall and do not have a capital project in planning will be addressed by the development of generic PE hall templates, which are currently being prepared within the building unit of my Department. The templates will standardise the construction of PE halls at second level schools and will reduce the architectural planning processes considerably. The templates are being piloted in four schools initially and are expected to be available shortly.
The infrastructural programme is a very significant element of developing PE programmes in our schools and I am committed, within the resources available to my Department, to enhancing this provision.
I wish to be associated with the expressions of congratulations to the Irish soccer team but I hasten to add that few of them benefited from PE at national school level.
Will the Minister confirm that 54% of all national schools do not have a general purposes room? More than three quarters of all primary schools report that because of inadequate space they cannot fully implement the physical education programme and more than two thirds of all schools report that they need either additional or replacement physical education equipment. This indicates our lack of seriousness regarding physical education at primary level and the Minister is presiding over this lack of seriousness.
The Minister's recent public relations stunt regarding the provision of swimming classes for every school in the country was far off the mark. How many schools have access to a swimming pool?
The Deputy is wandering from the subject of the question.
I am asking the Minister to confirm the reality as against the public relations. No such facilities are available to 85% of primary school children.
The Deputy mentioned a survey which showed that 54% of schools do not have a general purposes room. I remind the Deputy that 50% of primary schools are two teacher schools. Many of these were one teacher schools until the Government came to office and decided that every one teacher school should be given a second teacher. That is not to take from the fact that this is an area of great deficit and that all these schools need extra facilities. Today I signed a contract for PE halls in five schools.
We have heard that. The Minister announced it three times.
It is not unimportant. When did that happen before? These halls cost approximately £1 million each.
We should have had them 20 years ago.
Of course we should but if we keep saying that we will not achieve anything.
Where are those schools?
They are spread around the country. Next time I will try to assure that some are provided in Dublin. They are in Clare, Sligo, Monaghan and Cork city and county. We are doing some more work on Dublin schools. They are the first examples of public private partnerships in this area and now that the scheme is established it will be possible to provide more. This is a suitable area for the development of public private partnerships.
How many primary school PE inspectors are in the Department at present? Does this number reflect the Department's commitment to physical education at primary and second level?
I do not disagree with the Deputy that there is a great need for extra provision. That is why I set up this special group. It is working with a co-ordinator and two assistant co-ordinators on some new initiatives and it is also highlighting needs and the ways to meet them.
There has been a make-do attitude in many instances and teachers have had to make do. In my day we were fortunate in having an army man who taught us physical education, including gymnastics. He did it very well because we won several prizes.