€3,000 worth of school sports equipment up for grabs

THE search is on for Ireland’s most sporting school with a trip to The Netherlands and equipment worth €3,000 up for grabs for the winners.

The competition was announced in Croke Park yesterday by Education Minister Noel Dempsey and Sports Minister John O’Donoghue. They were joined by former Tour de France winner Stephen Roche, former Republic of Ireland soccer international Niall Quinn and Portuguese marathon runner Rosa Mota.

EU Education and Culture Commissioner Vivane Reding was also in Dublin for the launch of the European Year of Education through Sport (EYES), which she described as a timely initiative.

“The eyes of the sporting world are on Europe in 2004 as we play host to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Athens and the Euro soccer championships in Portugal,” she said. The country’s 750 second-level schools will be invited to take part in the Most Sporting School 2004 competition. The aim is to find a school using sport or physical education (PE) in a way that encourages as many students as possible to take part.

The winning school will receive €3,000 for equipment and travel to The Netherlands to compete against seven other national winners in December.

Mr Dempsey said the Government was committed to ensuring an active society, but involvement in sport also taught teamwork, fair play and responsibility to others.

Mr O’Donoghue said participation in sport must be promoted at all levels and would ensure the long-term health of the population.

After studies revealed that obesity affects 13% of the population, the Government launched a campaign last year to promote a half-an-hour of physical activity every day. But the Irish National Teachers Organisation said Government policy was turning children off sport, rather than encouraging them to take part, as thousands of primary school children had no basic PE facilities. The Department of Education last year cut a €2.5m grants scheme which helped all schools buy equipment and arrange coaching. “It is unfair that high-profile stadia for the few to watch sport come before facilities so that all can take part in sport. What message is ‘Government grants for stadia’ sending to children who have to sell raffle tickets to buy footballs,” said INTO general secretary John Carr.