Sports gear promotion under fire

FAMILIES of pupils in small schools could end up struggling to spend hundreds of euro in certain supermarkets to collect tokens for just one football or other sports equipment, it was claimed yesterday.

The Campaign for Commercial-Free Education said small schools and those in poorer areas could not raise the amounts required in the latest sports equipment promotion.

The SuperValu Kids In Action 2008 scheme was launched yesterday by Irish Sports Council chief executive John Treacy, along with research showing that the body mass index and body fat percentage in teenagers who take part in regular formal exercise is significantly lower than in those who do not.

The SuperValu campaign includes a scheme offering equipment for sports, gymnastics and resources to promote healthy eating.

Shoppers will receive a token for every €10 spent, with double tokens for purchases of fresh fruit and vegetables more than €10.

But Campaign for Commercial-Free Education chairman Joseph Fogarty said the notion of free sports equipment was rubbish, as a GAA Football worth €11.70 in shops requires receipts for €3,190 and a €250 gymnastics springboard was redeemable with tokens from almost €40,000 of shopping.

“The losers in this are the small schools, poor schools and special schools who can’t raise these massive amounts in just 10 weeks. In the face of an obesity epidemic, the Government has no grant towards PE equipment in primary schools and teachers must sell commercial access to pupils in return for meagre resources,” he said.

But SuperValu rejected the idea that people were actually paying €3,190 for a football, saying small schools which notify the company of their participation get extra start-up tokens. “The equipment is an added value which shoppers get when they leave the store and every school has a choice whether to take part or not,” said communications manager Sue Lamon-Diver.

“There are no guidelines on this kind of thing from the Department of Education but, with obesity being a problem among Irish children, we decided to help do something about it. There is no branding on any of the equipment and we also support the Irish Sports Council programme training teachers in PE,” she said.

Almost nine in 10 primary schools took part last year and received equipment worth €1.2m.

The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation said its members oppose the collection of tokens in schools, as such schemes target young children and their families and let the Government off the hook on school funding.

The Department of Education said all primary schools last year received a €2,000 grant for PE equipment.