No Leaving Cert PE at schools yet

SLIGO and Leitrim secondary schools should have been included in Phase 1 of the introduction Physical Education as a Leaving Certificate subject next September.

That’s according to Sligo/Leitrim Deputy Tony McLoughlin who raised the matter in the Dáil last week after several large town schools were refused permission to be included.

Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton announced at the end of February 80 schools around the country which will be taking part in the first phase of the new PE for Senior Cycle programmes: Leaving Certificate Physical Education (LCPE) and the non-exam Senior Cycle Physical Education (SCPE) Framework.

The 80 schools will offer students the chance to start studying PE for the 2020 Leaving Cert this coming September.

The nearest secondary school to Sligo included in the pilot is Abbey Community School in Boyle, Co. Roscommon.

Coláiste Cholmcille in Ballyshannon is the next nearest school offering PE or St Mary’s Secondary School Convent of Mercy in Ballina.

Mayo, Cavan, Roscommon and Longford have all only one school participating in the PE pilot programme, with just two schools in Galway city and Gort participating.

Donegal meanwhile has 8 schools participating.

“How can you have 8 schools offering PE in one county and none in the next two counties? That’s not acceptable to us. It looks bad for the schools. Sligo and Leitrim should have been included,” a spokesperson for Deputy McLoughlin told The Sligo Champion.

In his Dáil reply last week, Minister Bruton said the 80 schools were not chosen on merit but were chosen “independently” on other criteria.

A total of 369 schools applied to participate in the phase 1 roll-out, showing an outstanding demand across the country for Physical Education at Senior Cycle.

The Department of Education intends to roll out the new specification and Framework to all schools from 2020.