Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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199. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the projected numbers of students studying physical education at leaving certificate level from September 2018; and his plans to add additional schools to the short list of those schools implementing the subject. [27663/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The specification for Leaving Certificate Physical Education (LCPE) will provide learners with an opportunity to study physical education for the Leaving Certificate examination, providing an additional optional Leaving Certificate subject. The new examinable subject will be introduced in September 2018 into a cohort of 64 post-primary schools as part of phase 1 of its introduction.

To date, my Department has received confirmation that 1,571 students will study Leaving Certificate Physical Education in these 64 schools from September 2018. These schools are being supported in implementation by my Department’s Professional Development Service for Teachers.

It is my Department’s intention to offer LCPE to all interested schools from September 2020. An open call will be made for expressions of interest from schools in 2019.