Dublin primary schools getting visit from European delegation to learn more about Ireland's Active School Flag programme
Minister for Health Promotion Catherine Byrne today welcomed a delegation from a number of European countries to learn more about Ireland’s Active School Flag programme.
The Active School Flag is an initiative of the Department of Education and Skills, supported by Healthy Ireland, and is awarded to schools that aim to achieve a physically educated and physically active school community. It aims to get more schools, more active, more often.
The European delegation are part of the CHRODIS PLUS programme, which supports the transfer of good practice health promotion initiatives from one country to another. Experts from a number of countries, including Italy and Lithuania, are looking at Ireland’s Active School Flag initiative as a possible means to generate a more physically active school day in their own countries.
Speaking to the national and international public health and education experts in Dublin today, Minister Byrne said “Through Healthy Ireland, we’re aiming to increase activity levels across the nation. This is particularly important for children, not only for their physical health, but also for team building, to improve confidence and to improve mental health. The Active Schools Flag aims to get ‘more schools more active, more often’, and is a key element in implementing our National Physical Activity Plan. We are delighted that, through CHRODIS PLUS, other EU regions have the opportunity to implement similar programmes in other parts of Europe; we wish them every success in this regard”.
Following briefing from the Departments of Health and Education and Skills, the HSE and the Active School Flag team, the international visitors will visit five primary schools in the Dublin area. At these schools they will witness schoolchildren engaged in activities such as Wake Up, Shake Up; Active School Walkway; ‘Run Around Europe’, active playground initiatives, including playground leaders/active lines and classroom-based physical activity breaks such as the 10@10 and Go Noodle. They will meet with the pupil members of the Active School Flag committee in the schools as well as having discussions with the school principals, staff and parents.
Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton, commenting on the visit, said: "I am delighted to welcome educators from European partners to Ireland to learn about the Active School Flag, which is helping schools to achieve a more physically educated and physically active school community. We know how important it is to be physically active, and I would encourage every school, primary and post-primary to consider applying and work towards an Active School flag. This is an important initiative of which we can be justifiably proud.”
Around 800 schools currently hold Active School Flag status in Ireland and around 160,000 children in these schools are benefitting from enhanced delivery of the physical education curriculum, a more energised school day as well as opportunities for student voice and student leadership on physical activity. Over 1,200 of the schools have held an Active School Flag since 2009.
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