Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 November 2004
5 Mr. Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Science if she plans to reintroduce physical education and sports grants for schools; and the other measures which are planned to encourage physical activity among school children. [30850/04]
View answerPhysical education is one of the seven primary education curriculum areas and plans are in place to implement the new syllabus in physical education in September 2005, with a programme of in-service training for all primary school teachers taking place during the current school year.
Second level schools should offer a physical education programme based on an approved syllabus with teaching hours registered on the school timetable. The focus of physical education in schools is on the young person's holistic development, stressing personal and social development, physical growth and motor development. Goal setting within the curriculum focuses on individual improvement and not on winning or being the best.
At post-primary level, a revised syllabus for physical education for junior cycle, as a non-examination subject, is being introduced on a phased basis. The revised junior cycle physical education syllabus, with its practical focus, provides for young people an opportunity to explore a range of intelligences and represents a balance in what has long been acknowledged as an academically dominated curriculum.
The junior cycle physical education support service was established in September 2003 to support the introduction of the revised syllabus. The programme is being rolled out over three years. All schools were invited to avail of the support service with schools being invited to apply to the programme. Some 112 schools were involved in the programme in 2003 and further 130 have been invited to participate this year. Schools will have a further opportunity to apply for participation in the programme in 2005.
In October 2000, my Department introduced a physical education grant for all primary schools. Since the introduction of the scheme, the Department provided in excess of €5.5 million in grant aid to primary schools under this scheme to enable schools provide coaching or mentoring in connection with physical education or to purchase resource materials associated with the provision of physical education. Materials and equipment purchased by schools in previous years will generally be available to them for subsequent years. In light of the budgetary constraints, it was decided to withdraw payment of the grant from 2003. However, schools may use their general capitation funding to support the implementation of curricula, including physical education.
Since 1997 the standard rate of capitation grant has been increased from £45 or €57.14, per pupil to €121.58 with effect from 1 January 2004, an increase of almost 113% in the period. Provision has been made in the financial allocation announced in the recently published Book of Estimates for a further increase of €12 per pupil in the capitation grant, bringing it to €133.58 in the current school year.
The question of reintroducing a specific grant in respect of physical education in the future will be considered in the context of available resources and priorities within the education sector.
Will the Minister acknowledge, in terms of getting young people involved in sport, that one needs to start at the early stages, namely, primary school level? Is she aware of a survey carried out during the summer by the INTO, which showed that in Donegal 80%, in Clare 63% and in Dublin, with bigger and better equipped schools, 14% of schools did not have a proper sports area or physical education hall? Out of the 86% in Dublin which did have a physical education hall, 60% were inadequate or unsatisfactory. Will she acknowledge that in the new physical education curriculum, two of the six strands are dance and aquatics? In response to the INTO survey, teachers have said they are woefully unprepared for these two areas. Will the Minister acknowledge that most schools will not be able to install the new curriculum? This is a sad indictment of the Government's commitment to sport and to the personal development of young children. Given that the Taoiseach has indicated he is now a committed socialist, will the Minister acknowledge that even the most totalitarian and backward eastern European states of the 1970s and 1980s had a much more superior approach to sport for young people, as was shown by their Olympic results? Will she concede that physical education grants are but one small step? If even €600 a year cannot be given to schools, the Government is simply spitting in the face of our young children and laughing at teachers who are very committed.
I acknowledge that eastern European countries had greater sports facilities and large physical education halls, while their people starved. They had no democracy, no freedom and no flexibility about the development of the individual. It is a matter of priorities. The physical education curriculum in primary schools is dealt with under six headings, athletics, dance, gymnastics, games, outdoor and adventure activities and aquatics. Schools are encouraged to adopt a programme that is enjoyable, involving participation etc. From our inspection of the schools there is no indication of non-compliance.
Teachers are using the facilities they have, be they outdoor or indoor, or local sports facilities in conjunction with local clubs or swimming pools in towns. My colleague, the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism, Deputy O'Donoghue, has done much work in that area. All the new schools being developed at second level include PE halls built to international standards. At that level of physical education involvement in many sports is encouraged and there are basketball and tennis courts, playing fields and so on. We have found that generally schools have at least one element of those facilities.
Some progress was made in the capital programme this year with particular reference to PE halls and there have been developments as part of a wider programme in the drugs task force areas. There is quite a deal of flexibility of choice in the physical education programme. Even those schools with very confined space do their best to ensure the children get physical activity. One of the best physical activities parents could do with their children is to walk.
