Mr. David Duffy:

The students asked her why they needed to know how to make mayonnaise when it will not be a question in the examination. There is an element of our students, particularly in examination years and perhaps understandably, focusing very much on what is on the examination paper. That is the reason PE sometimes ends up suffering, so to speak.

What is interesting in that context is that the revised junior cycle, and particularly the well-being aspect of that cycle, may go a considerable way towards dealing with some of those issues. One factor within the revised junior cycle that will be particularly helpful is the 300 to 400 hours of well-being of which 200 hours are for PE. It was always the intention that schools would provide 200 hours of PE but it has always been very difficult for schools to do that. The well-being programme is at least giving schools the opportunity to be able to do that but I have to throw in the proviso that that is assuming the facilities are available to the school in the first place.