First-class PE for all pupils, declares Leo

ALL secondary school pupils will get their PE training in a state-ofthe-art hall, Leo Varadkar will announce today, as part of an ‘ambitious and unprecedented’ investment of almost €12 billion in education.

With physical education due to be introduced as a Leaving Cert exam subject, the €11.9billion investment, to be spread over the next decade, will provide the funding to build and modernise school halls.

The Taoiseach said: ‘I am particularly pleased that we’ll be investing in PE halls – modernising old ones and building new ones – to ensure all post-primary students can use state-of-the-art PE facilities. This will be especially important as we phase in PE as a Leaving Cert exam subject.

‘Education doesn’t just drive economic success, it’s also crucial to giving everyone the opportunity to fulfil their full potential, in all parts of the country.

‘This ambitious and unprecedented level of investment, almost €12 billion, in our education sector will ensure this generation of children and the next get the best possible start in life.’

The investment is part of the Project Ireland 2040 campaign, the Government’s €116billion investment and development plan for the next decade.

Within that is Education Minister Richard Bruton’s Action Plan for Education, which aims to make Irish education the best in Europe by 2026.

Minister Bruton said: ‘We are investing in modern facilities in our schools, higher and further education institutions, which are energy efficient and fit for purpose for the curricular reforms we are making.

‘We are giving schools, higher and further education institutions more certainty over the grants they receive and better lead in times, making it easier to plan.

‘The investment under the Project Ireland 2040 will have a transformative impact on our education system and take us further along our journey, to becoming the best in Europe.’