Written answers

Tuesday, 26 February 2019

Department of Education and Skills

Schools Healthy Living Strategies

Photo of John LahartJohn Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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178. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the guidelines in place for primary schools regarding the setting aside of time for eating lunch and taking breaks; the guidelines for children in primary school regarding hygiene in relation to food, such as, washing of hands before eating and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9075/19]

Photo of Joe McHughJoe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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At primary level, circular 11/95 “Time in School” paragraph 3 states that a typical school day for Junior classes is 4 hours and 40 minutes and Senior classes 5 hours and 40 minutes with appropriate recreation i.e. 30 minutes. Under the Rules for National Schools, forenoon and afternoon breaks of five minutes each are allowed.

Where a recreation interval or break of a longer duration than the foregoing are taken (for example when children are allowed to have lunch in the classroom prior to the official commencement of the recreation interval) the length of the school day must be extended correspondingly.

Under the provisions of the Education Act, 1998, the Board of Management is responsible for the day to day running of a school. The arrangement within the recreation interval for pupils to eat their lunch is a matter for each Board of Management to determine and my Department has not issued guidelines to schools in this regard. Schools are required to supervise pupils during school time including during breaks and lunch breaks.

Time allocated for hygiene at primary is covered within the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) Curriculum which is allocated a minimum of 30 minutes a week at all levels of primary school. SPHE provides specific opportunities to enable the child to understand himself or herself, to develop healthy relationships and to establish and maintain healthy patterns of behaviour. It is a particular concern of the curriculum to develop in the child respect and care for his or her body. It also enables the child to acquire the knowledge and attitudes that help to promote a healthy lifestyle. As part of this the child should be enabled to recognise and practise basic hygiene skills such as: personal hygiene practices, hygienic eating habits, developing basic skills in dressing himself/herself and caring for clothes, taking proper care of teeth.

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