Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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230. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the programme of work to be undertaken to implement the Programme for Government’s commitment to ‘Increase the number of schools offering PE as a Leaving Certificate exam subject’; and whether an equal focus will be placed on same-sex girl’s schools, where participation levels in sports are typically lower. [5776/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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There are two options for Physical Education (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. Introduced on a phased basis in 2018 to 64 schools, LCPE is now being offered by 448 schools around the country.

The Senior Cycle Physical Education (SCPE) non-examination framework provides a flexible planning tool for physical education for all students in senior cycle, including those in Transition Year.

All students must be offered the opportunity to undertake LCPE, SCPE, or both at Senior Cycle.

Data from my Department show that, in 2024, 77 all-girls schools offered LCPE, compared to 72 all-boys schools offering the subject. A further 299 co-educational schools offered the subject to students. In total, in 2024, 22,252 students are studying LCPE of which 7,296 are female. This compares with 1,703 students studying LCPE in 2018, of which 677 were female.

A revised LCPE curriculum specification is currently planned for introduction in schools for fifth years from the start of the 2026/27 school year, as part of tranche 2 of Senior Cycle Redevelopment. The NCCA were asked to ensure that the review of the LCPE curriculum specification takes account of relevant issues, which may include issues such as female participation in LCPE and review of sports included in the specification to consider any necessary update. This will ensure that the revised LCPE specification, informed by this review, will support the realisation of the purpose and vision for a redeveloped senior cycle. In its Brief for the Review of Leaving Certificate Physical Education, it stated that “the updating of the specification will consider and address [...] how to widen the appeal of the subject and re-balance gender uptake and participation”.

The Deputy may wish to note that the NCCA has opened a public consultation on the draft revised LCPE specification. The consultation period runs from 24 February until 25 April 2025. Details regarding the consultation are available on .

The range of subjects to be offered in the Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate programmes in individual schools will vary in accordance with the teaching resources in the school and the needs and interests of the students and is a matter for school management authorities.