Dr. Seline Keating:

Physical activity is very good for promoting mental health. It is also really important to look at the broader picture and the holistic development of the child. The physical element is just one component. My area is social, personal and health education, SPHE, and I think there should be more time on it in initial teacher education and the school curriculum. At primary level it is only 30 minutes per week. That is where the life skills take place, the decision making, feelings and emotions and how to manage and regulate them and how pupils learn to cope with scenarios they may face. It also includes media education. It is very challenging for teachers to deliver meaningful lessons in a 30 minute slot. There can be a tendency, as research has shown, that where classes run over time in other subject areas, SPHE is often the subject that gets missed out on. The review of primary and post-primary has included significant redevelopments in valuing SPHE. This is clear in this year's revised version of the well-being programme for junior cycle and the National Council for Curriculum Assessment, NCCA, draft primary school framework in 2020. There is now a focus on well-being as a subject area. From junior infants to third class, the well-being umbrellas includes SPHE and PE. Both go hand in hand to promote the well-being of the child.