Physical exercise - Chronic lack of facilities is a scandal

WITH Irish children getting less physical exercise (PE) at school than children almost anywhere in Europe, is it any wonder obesity is a major problem here?

According to an EU report on exercise facilities for children, Ireland ranks close to the bottom of the European league table. The situation is so bad that three quarters of primary schools don’t reach the minimum standard.

In a knee-jerk response, Education Minister Mary Hanafin claims the Government gives €2,000 to every school to replace and upgrade PE equipment.

Defending the indefensible, the minister omitted to say this restores funding that was scrapped by her predecessor Noel Dempsey.

There is no evading the fact that tens of thousands of children in primary schools up and down the country suffer from a chronic lack of PE.

Coincidentally, a new campaign was launched yesterday by the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists, supported by rugby stars Brian O’Driscoll, Shane Horgan, Girvan Dempsey and Keith Gleeson, highlighting the need for young children to be as active as possible.

In particular, children should take plenty of weight-bearing exercise, essential for developing healthy bones.

With Government coffers bursting with cash, the failure to adequately fund PE equipment and facilities in schools is scandalous.

Compounding this bleak scenario, Irish curriculum guidelines for primary schools, drawn up by the Department of Education, allow for the lowest weekly allocation of PE lessons in Europe, with a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 60 minutes. This contrasts with Hungary, which tops the EU league with a minimum of 112 minutes and a maximum of 225 minutes of PE for primary school children.

Unlike most EU states, where ample time is devoted to exercise, PE is totally neglected in many schools in this country. In some primary schools, children are confined to exercising in the classroom. As is well known, many schools even ban running in the playground for insurance reasons.

A recent INTO survey found 80% of schools in Donegal, 63% in Clare and 70% in Kerry have no PE hall. In other words, it is dependent on the weather. But even in Dublin, where 86% of schools have a PE Hall, more than 60% were inadequate or unsatisfactory.

The EU report is also in line with a recent survey of schools principals that found seven out of ten were unhappy with the level of PE in schools.

Irish secondary schools rank close to the EU average, allocating a minimum of 57 minutes and a maximum of 120 minutes a week.

This is better than Sweden which has a maximum allocation of 60 minutes for PE at secondary level. But Irish children contrast poorly with their French counterparts who can get a maximum of 240 minutes PE a week.

Ireland’s big problem is that the impetus to stimulate physical education is lost at primary level where six out of 10 schools have inadequate facilities and equipment.

Starved of grants, many schools were forced to use old, unsafe sports equipment. As a result, schools had to rely on cake sales and raffles to fund vital equipment.

According to a VHI survey, every second person wants to lose weight. But instead of pursuing a healthier lifestyle, most people go on crash diets. Our favourite pastimes are watching TV, going to the pub and eating out in restaurants.

Clearly, physical education is not a priority in Ireland. The EU report is a damning indictment of Government failure to provide proper PE facilities and equipment, especially in primary schools. That’s where a healthy lifestyle should start.