Active School Week Launched

Schools across Ireland have been urged to "get on board" with Active School Week, due to begin on Monday 25 April.

The initiative is jointly sponsored by the Department of Education and Skills and Healthy Ireland and will take place from 25 to 29 April at all primary, post-primary, special schools and Youthreach centres across Ireland.

Launching the initiative, Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan, said: "Active School Week is going from strength-to-strength each year and I would encourage every school, primary and post-primary to get on board this year. We know how important it is to be physically active and this week of activities across the country underlines how important this is as part of a healthy school community."

Active School Week is an integral part of the Active School Flag initiative which recognises schools that strive to achieve a physically educated and physically active school community. To date 714 schools have been awarded the Active School Flag. ASW provides an opportunity for schools to collaborate with students, parents, local community and national agencies on a wide variety of activities. Get Ireland Walking and Rowing Ireland areencouraging schools to get creative as well as active, during Active School Week.

Highlighting her support for the project, Minister O’Sullivan said: "Over the years schools have devised a range of great activities to energise the school day and mark Active School Week.  These include replacing school uniforms with tracksuits for the week, giving physical activity tasking rather than traditional homework and early morning activity bursts, entitled 'Wake Up – Shake Up'. The week really is driven by schools and the range of great ideas increases each year. Active School Week 2016 promises to be a great event and every school should take part."

The Minister concluded: "The recent launch of the National Physical Activity Plan is a game changer in how we promote and value physical activity. My Department has committed to ambitious goals as part of that plan and work has already begun on implementation. For instance my Department are committed to the roll out of the ASF Programme to an additional 500 schools. Active School Week fits into this important agenda and is a great initiative."

(MH)