Lack of facilities will hit public purse

PUBLIC health spending will rise significantly if children do not have access to proper sport and exercise facilities at school, a leading health professional has warned.

Esther-Mary D’Arcy, president of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP), said while some children were not willing to participate in sports, there was concern about the lack of facilities in some schools.

The Department of Education has told an unknown number of primary schools with rising pupil numbers seeking temporary accommodation to use all available space, including general purpose rooms and physical education (PE) halls.

“Children shouldn’t be crowded into small rooms where they don’t have space to move around, but I don’t think the gym or PE hall should be compromised. We have to look at this in the context of educating children in the broadest sense for life, which includes having them looking after their health,” Ms D’Arcy said.

“If we’re not encouraging that and providing facilities right from the start, we’re shooting ourselves in the foot in terms of trying to improve the health of the population, and this will lead to increased Government spending on health down the line,” she said.

The principal of a Co Clare school forced to move 30 senior infants and first-class pupils into the PE hall last week said children’s weekly sports activity is now restricted by the weather.

“It seems to go against the grain to be putting classes in the hall when we’re hearing more and more about obesity problems among children,” said Pádraig MacGiollaPhádraig.

Clonlara National School gained an extra teacher this year but its application for extra accommodation was turned down because the school had a PE hall.

“Teachers are being trained in the new PE curriculum this year but how are they supposed to implement it without a hall, it’s like trying to practice rowing without water,” he said.

The Department of Education has allocated 142 extra teaching posts in primary schools this year but said it was not possible to approve all applications for temporary accommodation. A spokesperson said that, as an interim measure, some schools had been advised to maximise the use of existing accommodation until extra space could be made available.

The ICSP organised activities in primary and second level schools around the country as part of Move 4 Health Day yesterday. Children took part in various sports and events with the emphasis placed on the fun element of exercise.

Ms D’Arcy said it was important to get children aware of the joy of exercise as early as possible, as research in the US has shown that the number of pupils taking part in PE classes fell from 42% to 32% between 1991 and 2001.