PE could soon be a full subject on the Leaving Cert syllabus

The measure is designed to combat obesity levels in Ireland.

Physical education (PE) could soon be a full subject on the Leaving Certificate syllabus in Ireland as part of measures that were included in the A Programme for a Partnership Government document released earlier this week. Under the heading ‘The Next Generation – Protecting and Enriching our Young People’ in the Children for Youth Affairs section of the document, it states that the new Government “support the implementation of the national physical activity plan for all ages and we also support the introduction of a new Leaving Certificate P.E. syllabus, as a full optional subject”. No timeline has been put forward for when P.E. would be introduced as a full subject in the Leaving Cert syllabus and similar proposals have been made without being acted upon in the past. If and when it is introduced, as a full optional Leaving Cert subject, results will be counted for CAO points for students applying for college places. Recent research - including a study in The Lancet revealing that Ireland is on course to be the most obese country in Europe in the next decade – has highlighted the extent of the obesity problem in Ireland. Would you welcome the move?