Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2017
350. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to address the fact that one in four children is overweight or obese; his guidelines for the provision of green space for urban schools in this respect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34841/17]
View answerMy Department is active in the area of promotion of health and wellbeing in schools. The issue of promoting healthy eating is addressed in schools through subjects such as Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE), and Home Economics as well as in Physical Education. The aim is to equip students with such skills and knowledge to enable them to make appropriate choices for healthy lifestyles.
My Department issued a circular to all post primary schools in September 2015 on the Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles in Post Primary Schools (Circular number 0051/2015) and to all primary schools in February 2016 on the Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles in Primary Schools (Circular number 0013/2016). These circulars aim to support and strengthen schools’ efforts in developing in young people the skills and attitudes needed to make informed decisions about their health.
Schools are strongly encouraged to have a formal healthy eating policy that has been developed in consultation with students and parents.
Guidelines are available to schools on developing a healthy eating policy in Post-Primary Schools, which have been developed by the Department of Health and HSE. The healthy eating policy should outline how the school supports healthy eating practices through the promotion of healthy lunches and healthy snacks and other means.
All of the proactive work done in schools complements the Government's Framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing 2013 - 2025 - Healthy Ireland. Schools can do so much but it is through working together, across Government departments, through families and communities that we can create an environment in which our young people have the knowledge, skills and resilience to choose to lead a healthy life.
The provision of playspace, where site conditions and circumstances allow, is one of the issues considered in the architectural design of new schools and major extensions. The level of facilities, including playspace, that can be provided in schools will therefore vary depending on the extent of classroom accommodation needed for the school.
A suite of technical guidance documents is available on the Department's website (www.education.ie) to assist design teams in best practice design and development of projects and to encourage them to take a complete design team approach from project conception. These documents cover all aspects of the development of a building project for both internal and external works, including site assessments for new schools.
The Physical Education curriculum has been designed on the basis that facilities in schools may vary. Many primary schools have a general purpose room and practically all schools have outdoor play areas which are used for teaching different aspects of the P.E. programme. A similar situation with sports halls and outdoor facilities applies at second level. In addition, many schools use adjacent local facilities, including public parks, playing fields and swimming pools. In the context of the Department's co-operation with local authorities in identifying suitable sites for new schools, the location of sporting facilities in the vicinity is one of a number of factors taken into account in the overall site appraisal process.
The Department's design guidelines for schools include guidance in the provision of P.E. Halls, general purpose rooms and outdoor hard play areas such as basketball courts. The provision of playing pitches is not part of the specification for primary schools. However, in certain circumstances and where the site conditions allow, the project scope may include the levelling and grassing of an area which schools may decide to use for playing fields. At post primary level, an area may be developed as a practice playing field where site conditions and resources permit. In higher density urban developments the optimum site area may not be available and green space guidelines are subject to space availability.
