Unfit pupils need better PE facilities, parents warn

A SHORTAGE of sports facilities in thousands of primary schools is contributing to a fitness crisis among children, parents warned last night.

A revised PE curriculum is set to be introduced at primary level next year. But more than half of schools in some counties do not have a PE hall or general purposes room and can only arrange PE lessons in dry weather.

Fionnuala Kilfeather, chief executive of the National Parents Council (Primary), said local authorities should also provide more play areas for children, but added that sports facilities in schools must be drastically improved.

“We have a national crisis in terms of exercise, health and healthy eating among children. We have no room for complacency, with all that’s coming out about kids being overweight or unfit, and increasing rates of diabetes among teenagers,” she said. “The Government must invest long-term in schools and, where primary schools do not have PE halls, community facilities such as parish centres or secondary school halls should be made available.”

The Department of Education will begin training teachers this year for the new curriculum, which covers athletics, dance, gymnastics, games, adventure activities and aquatics.

Many large-scale projects completed in recent years under the school building programme include multi-purpose spaces.

At a meeting in June, officials from the Department of Education’s Planning and Building Unit agreed with the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) that, where such facilities were inadequate, funding would be prioritised.

“The provision of multi-purpose space for primary schools will continue to be considered within the design brief for new schools and the renovation and extension of school building projects,” a departmental spokesperson said last night.

A recent INTO survey found that 80% of Donegal’s primary schools do not have a PE hall, nor do 70% of those in Kerry nor 63% in Clare. All but 14% of primary schools in Dublin have a sports hall, but most reported that their facilities were unsafe or too small.

Irish Sports Council chief executive John Treacy said it was more important for teachers to be properly trained than for schools to have the required facilities.

“Whatever they are left with, they should try to have some kind of activity in that area,” he said.

INTO president Austin Corcoran said both training and facilities are needed.

“For too long, the official attitude to primary schools has been that they somehow need fewer resources because they teach younger children. The attitude of ‘some kind of open space or whatever they are left with’ is totally unacceptable,” he said. “Government policy is all over the place because the Health Minister is concerned about obesity in young children, yet the Education Minister cannot provide facilities.”