Fine Gael attacks Government over sports facilities

A LACK of indoor facilities means half of all primary schools can't teach physical education in bad weather, a survey has found.

Three-out-of-four national schools do not have a sports hall but those with a general purpose (GP) room often have difficulty accessing it for PE because of lack of space for classes, according to the Fine Gael study.

Its sports spokesman Jimmy Deenihan accused the Government of failing to provide proper sports facilities in school, particularly in light of rising obesity levels among children.

About 1,400 of the country's 3,300 primary schools responded to the survey and almost half had no sports pitch, 400 had no access to a swimming pool while transport costs made it a luxury for those that did.

"The barriers to PE provision for school children is contributing to rising obesity levels and storing up health problems for the future," Mr Deenihan said.

"PE facilities in our primary schools have been devastated by Government neglect. It's no wonder that PE has to take a back seat when so many schools do not even have a sports hall."

Students in a quarter of the schools surveyed receive less than the hour of PE per week recommended in the primary curriculum. Mr Deenihan also highlighted the finding that less than half of schools are focusing on initiatives to increase girls' participation in PE.

"In 2002, the Government discontinued the PE equipment grant and it has told overcrowded schools to use their GP areas as classrooms. Fine Gael, in government, is committed to restoring the support schools need for appropriate facilities, funding the contribution of local sports clubs and volunteers and prioritising the building of sports facilities that can be used by schools and local communities," he said.

A Department of Education spokesperson said virtually all schools have at least one type of PE facility, either a PE hall, GP room, outdoor hard play area or playing field. She said schools can also access local facilities, while equipment can be bought from capitation and minor works grants.

"More than €5.5 million in sports equipment grants was provided to primary schools by this Government just a few years ago. Materials and equipment purchased by schools in previous years will naturally tend to be available to them for subsequent years," she said.

A Co Donegal primary teacher said parents are requesting more physical education but this is proving extremely difficult.

"A large part of our outdoor area houses a prefab and with no hall, everything is weather dependent," he said.

Irish National Teachers' Organisation general secretary John Carr said the Fine Gael survey mirrors previous studies by the union.

"If PE is not to join the virtual reality past times of so many young people, we must invest in primary schools. It's no good having surveys showing rising obesity levels and increasing use of computer games," he said.

The INTO is demanding that every primary school should have a GP room to ensure the PE programme can be implemented, regardless of weather conditions.

"Government must be prepared to invest more in our young people and their sporting talents. A curriculum is worth nothing if it is just a paper exercise or an aspiration, it must be implementable," Mr Carr said.