Mr. David Duffy:

On the Acting Chair's question about parents and educators working together, there are some very interesting and useful ways in which that can happen. In regard to the whole issue of healthy lifestyles, which might include physical education, PE, healthy eating and general activity and anything from walking to school to what one eats, there are some useful areas to consider, particularly in the context of a whole-school approach. It is about the board of management devising policies that are practical for both parties and the wider school community also getting involved. I already mentioned the implementation of well-being. That is not only part of the curriculum but its implementation is also a matter for the board of management of the school. The board can give support on that issue.

It has not been possible for many schools to provide the 200 hours for PE they ideally should provide, not only for reasons relating to facilities but also because of a lack of teachers and timetabling issues in some cases. The well-being measure takes that to another level. It is about the board of management working together with all the stakeholders involved, including the local community, county councils, teachers, parents and, in the case of many of our schools, the education and training boards, ETBs, to ensure 200 hours of physical education and a qualified PE teacher are available. In many schools, particularly the larger ones, two or three qualified PE teachers may be required. In many such schools only one PE teacher has been available thus far.

As I am sure the committee is aware, the demographics of post-primary education over the next few years will be very interesting. Between now and 2025, when we will hit the peak, we are looking at somewhere in the region of 50,000 to 60,000 extra students. It depends on which demographic model one looks at. Approximately 50,000 to 60,000 extra students will come into the post-primary system in the next few years. That gives us an opportunity in terms of teacher recruitment but, as I am sure the committee is aware, there are serious issues around teacher supply. Much of that relates to pay for new entrants, which has been an issue since 2011. The board of management and the whole school can work together on that issue.

The board and all the stakeholders involved - parents, educators and so on - can work together to lobby for extra facilities, whether in the school, the local community or, ideally, both. They can also work together to promote healthy lifestyles generally, which includes healthy lifestyles in the school. As my colleague from the National Parents Council Post Primary stated, there is an issue with vending machines and, more precisely, what is being sold in them. It is also about ensuring physical education is available and students can take up valuable programmes such as home economics to learn about healthy eating. It is about schools being able to provide the PE programme at leaving certificate, whether under the non-examination framework or as an examination subject, and promoting sport to students.

It is also about the role of extra-curricular activities in schools. In many cases, extra-curricular activities are supported not only by teachers but also by parents who often do a great deal of valuable work in supporting teams. It is about making sure that students and children feel supported when taking part in extra-curricular activities and that schools, through both the educators running the teams and the parents who often provide valuable support, are provided with the opportunities to engage in extra-curricular activities. It is not only about the teams. It is also about the students who enjoy playing sports but may not be very good at them. In my own case, I loved playing sports but I was dreadful at all of them. My parents consistently gave me the message that playing sport was important and that if I enjoyed sport, I should do it regardless of whether I was captain of the team, because there was no chance of me making the team, never mind being captain of it.