Written Answers. - Sport and Physical Education.
John Perry
Question:
60
Mr. Perry
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
the finances being invested to promote sport and physical education in schools in County Galway; the amount involved; the total amount nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[28278/01]
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, to implement this initiative. 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 receive an annual grant of £1,000 – 1,269.74 – per school while all other schools receive £500 – 634.87. Circular 28/00 that 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 £1,858,000 – 2,359,173 – issued to all primary schools in March 2001.
Of this amount, £133,500 – 169,510 – was paid to primary schools in County Galway. Taken together with the grant of £44,226 – 56,155 – paid to primary schools in County Galway last year, this brings the total amount of grants paid to primary schools in County Galway since the introduction of this scheme to £177,726 – 225,665.
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 that have an enrolment in excess of 450 students qualify for a PE hall of 608 sq.m. Likewise, when an existing school does not have a PE hall, provision is made for a PE hall of 608 sq.m. 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 200 sq.m. to the overall size of the facility.
Schools that have an enrolment of between 200-449 students qualify for a PE hall of 406 sq.m. Ancillary accommodation can add a further 200 sq.m. of accommodation to this floor area, giving a total area in excess of 600 sq.m. 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. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that schools in County Galway will benefit from this initiative.
