Catherine Murphy
Ceist:563. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education the number of primary schools which do not provide swimming lessons to students in each local authority in tabular form. [21530/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 28 April 2021
Ceisteanna (563)
Freagraí scríofa
The Department of Education does not have access to the information on the number of primary schools which do not provide swimming lessons in each local authority. Whether or not swimming lessons are offered would be a matter for each individual school based on their own context.
The Physical Education (PE) curriculum at primary level contributes to children’s overall development by helping them to lead full, active and healthy lives. It provides a balanced range of activities for children through the six strands, of which Aquatics is one. The aquatics programme is concerned with gaining competence and confidence near, in, under and on water. The term ‘aquatics’ is used to include not only the teaching of swimming strokes but the provision of opportunities for enjoyment of water play and other aspects of aquatics. The concern for water safety permeates all aquatic activities. However, the PE curriculum has been developed on the understanding that facilities available to schools vary. Consequently, it offers a level of flexibility that allows each individual school to design a programme that can be delivered using the resources and supports available to it.
Currently, the primary curriculum is undergoing a period of review and redevelopment led by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. The new draft Primary Curriculum Framework was published in 2020 for public consultation. Phase one of the consultation ended in December 2020 and phase two, which will focus on consulting with school leaders, teachers, children and parents will commence in September 2021. This consultation will inform the direction of the new primary curriculum, with the completed draft framework expected to be published in Q2 2022 and the specifications for the curricular areas, including physical education, to be developed in the following years.