Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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140. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will outline the improvements to deliver on the physical education curriculum in primary and secondary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5025/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government commits to encourage increased participation in Physical Education (PE) in primary and secondary education. My Department continues to work closely with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) in that regard.

The new Primary Curriculum Framework, to be published in the coming weeks, underpins the importance of wellbeing as part of school life. The development of the wellbeing specification, which includes PE, has just commenced with the set-up of the development group at the end of 2022. The development process will include research, consultation, working with the education partners and a network of schools. The specification will be completed in the 2025/2026 school year.

A new 135 hour Junior Cycle PE specification required to be implemented by all post-primary schools will be rolled out in schools from September 2023 and will be available to First Year students.

Schools are required to provide a programme of 400 hours of Wellbeing for students starting first-year, PE contributes to the Wellbeing programme by providing learning experiences which support students in being better able and more motivated to include regular physical activity in their lives, thereby contributing to their overall experience of wellbeing.

There are two options for PE at Senior Cycle – Leaving Certificate Physical Education (LCPE), which is an examinable subject and the Senior Cycle Physical Education (SCPE) framework which is non- examinable.The objectives of LCPE are to develop the learner’s physical activity. To enable this to happen, students learn about the different theoretical perspectives through their participation in three different physical activities. These activities are selected from six distinct physical activity areas which reflect the activities more commonly included in school physical education programmes currently.

LCPE is designed to be taught in approximately 180 hours. It is recommended that of the five suggested class periods a week, a double period per week should be included to facilitate learners’ active participation in the three physical activities. Learning associated with the specification may occur in practical settings beyond the school. It is important, therefore, that timetable arrangements reflect this.

285 schools provided LCPE as an examinable subject in the 2021/22 school year. Since the first examinations took place in 2020, over 7,500 students have completed the LCPE examination with 4,896 examined in the subject at Leaving Certificate level in 2022 (2022 being the first year since 2019 in which there was a return to written examinations for all candidates).

As part of the redevelopment of Senior Cycle announced by Minister Foley on 29 March 2022, the Department will work to expand the number of schools offering LCPE.

The Senior Cycle Physical Education (SCPE) framework has a different purpose and focus to that of LCPE. It provides a flexible planning tool for physical education for all students in senior cycle and is not assessed as part of the Leaving Certificate examination. Learners can be encouraged to undertake different roles and responsibilities, including leadership, coaching and officiating roles. They can learn to plan, organise, participate in and reflect on their experiences in physical activity. Students can learn about fair play, team work and how to relate to one another respectfully. As a result, they learn to be effective in the different competitive, creative and challenging situations that participation in physical activity continually offers them.

The Government has appointed Thomas Byrne TD as Minister of State at both the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and the Department of Education with special responsibility for Sport and Physical Education. I would like to welcome Minister of State Byrne to the Department and of course I look forward to working with him to progress this important area.