‘EXERCISE IS KEY TO WELLBEING’

KERRY EDUCATORS TO ADDRESS ETBI CONFERENCE IN KILLARNEY THIS WEEK

TWO Kerry speakers will address this week’s ETBI conference in Killarney about the positive role physical education plays in the mental wellbeing of Kerry students.

Ann O’Dwyer, Director of Schools with KETB, and Gillian Fitzgerald, a physical education teacher at Coláiste na Sceilge, will discuss the ongoing benefits of a physical education project which has been running in Kerry for the past seven years. Aimed at encouraging young students to keep active, it’s an initiative they say is creating better student mental health and wellbeing.

“We have been asked to provide a workshop on active schools and physical education based on our physical education programme here over the past seven years. We have prioritised physical education because of the health benefits and the importance of health and wellbeing in our students,” Ann explained.

“Overall health and wellbeing has really improved and we have a number of initiatives where, for example, all schools provide interschool events each year in adventure sports and we have been greatly helped by the involvement of the local Sports Partnership and Institute of Technology.

“We currently have a project where fitness levels of first year students are assessed by IT students which encourages them to take an interest in their own personal fitness programme. The results are given to them and they can assess for themselves the areas they need to improve.

“This has been a really positive initiative. Gillian Fitzgerald, a PE teacher from Coláiste na Sceilge, has been very involved in this whole initiative from the beginning and she will also be speaking on the day, ” Ann added.

Colm McEvoy, CEO of KETB, said the conference is hugely significant in the education calendar. “The need for a strong education and training sector has never been greater and we look forward to addressing the many opportunities for the continued development of the sector in the years ahead.”