€6.5m primary PE scheme ‘not enough’

THE Government has been accused of underfunding physical education for pupils at primary level, despite announcing a €6.5 million sports grant scheme for primary schools.

Education Minister Mary Hanafin released details of the package at the Fianna Fáil Árd Fheis last weekend, promising €2,000 for each of the country’s 3,200 primary schools towards the cost of replacing and upgrading PE equipment.

General secretary of the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO), John Carr said: “It will take more than an announcement like this to make up for the real lack of facilities for physical education in schools. Unless there is substantial investment in providing indoor facilities in schools, the PE curriculum just will not happen and there is no point in pretending that it will.”