A report in the Irish Times this morning suggests that all applications for the upgrade or development of sports facilities in schools are being turned down by the Department of Education.
This despite a little over half of Ireland’s 711 secondary schools having applied to be among the 80 that will introduce the teaching of PE as part of a Leaving Certificate Pilot programme from this September.
The Department of education confirmed last month the 80 schools that would be participating in the first phase, ahead of the full programme being implemented in 2020.
369 schools had applied to be part of the scheme and speaking to the Irish Times this morning a department of education spokesperson said that the vast majority of those had access to halls or facilities in which the 30 percent of the course marks given for physical activity could be undertaken.
Concern has arisen over the fact that many schools who applied for funding under the department of transport, Tourism and Sport Capital Sports Programme had failed in their application.
The Irish Times cites an internal Department of Education report on capital investment priorities that concludes the Department is ‘not currently in a position to consider applications’ for the construction or upgrade of facilities.
There is additional money in the National Development Plan however which it is being suggested may be used towards the purpose of gyms and facilities in schools.
Sport for Business has long advocated that the best way to increase the use and availibility of proper covered facilities for sport is for sporting governing bodies, local authorities and schools to come together and work on joint use plans that would enable the facilities to be used in evenings and at weekends as well as for the school population.
Creating additional shared use relationships would particularly benefit sports like Basketball, Badminton and Gymnastics, all of which have huge potential to engage greater numbers in physical activity beyond their school years, and partnerships with whom would make the upgrade of school facilities much easier to bear from a cost perspective.
Only three years away from the full introduction of PE as an examinable subject, the potential benefit in terms of lifelong health, fitness and activity should not be jeopardised by a lack of proper facilities which will inevitably impact hardest on those in economically disadvantaged areas that are already under performing in terms of activity.
Grant Applications wil be one of the key areas covered in our Help For What Matters roadshows with Ulster Bank taking place for Rugby Clubs in Belfast, Galway, Cork, Limerick and Dublin between April 16th and 26th. Find out more here.
Sign up today for our free daily news digest covering the commercial world of sport or discover the benefits of becoming a full member alongside the many leading organisations whom we serve.
