Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 101: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the amount of time allocated to physical education for each student at post-primary level per day; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4987/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In accordance with the Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools, all second level schools should provide Physical Education as part of the curriculum. The programme that each school plans and delivers should be based on my Department's approved syllabuses and the teaching hours should be registered on the school timetable. The syllabuses have been developed on the basis of a time allocation of two hours per week.

The phasing in of a revised Physical Education syllabus (non-examination) at Junior cycle level commenced in September 2003. The Junior Cycle Physical Education Support Service has been in place since then to support teachers in the implementation of this syllabus. The programme includes adventure activities, aquatics, athletics, dance, invasion games, net and fielding games, gymnastics and health related activity.

The Physical Education Programme in senior cycle is set out in the Rules and Programme for Second Level Schools, and is constructed across 5 areas:

that students be given the opportunity for students to follow programmes in an optional area,

to specialise in a PE area which has been taken at junior cycle,

to undertake new activities

to undertake a personal fitness and health programme

and to receive training in sports Leadership.

The time recommended for both programmes is two hours per week.

Physical education is an integral part of the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) programme. All LCA students must take two modules—Leisure Studies and Health Related Fitness—and there are four additional modules from which they can make further choices.

Apart from the formal curricula, schools can take a range of measures to encourage physical activity among students during the school day and many provide extensive, broad-based programmes of co-curricular physical activities that are highly rewarding for both pupils and teachers alike. In particular, schools play a major role in nurturing and promoting the involvement of students in sporting activities in the wider community. Sports organisations such as the Gaelic Athletic Association, Basketball Ireland, the Football Association of Ireland provide extensive opportunities for such participation.