Primary Schools are encouraged to Get Active this week, in the annual event to promote physical health and wellbeing in schoolkids.
Tuesday, May 3 through to Friday, May 6 marks Active School Week 2022, a chance for schools to stretch their muscles, and build ties with local sports clubs and other physical activity groups.
This year schools are encouraged to look to their local communities for a local (or national) physical activity role model.
They can then invite this local hero to set a physical activity challenge for students and staff during the week.
Minister for Education Norma Foley said that this initiative is an opportunity for schools to “work together with children, parents and the broader community” to become more physically active.
The will benefit “overall wellbeing as well as teaching and learning” in our schools, the Minister added.
The #ASW22 is the flagship event of Active School Flag (ASF), an initiative by the Department of Education which is supported by Healthy Ireland.
The aim of the programme is to get ‘More Schools. More Active. More Often’, with 678 primary schools around the country taking part.
Once awarded to a school, the Active School Flag remains valid for three years.
The ASF process for post-primary schools commenced in September 2021, with a phased roll-out.
Other activities promoted this year include the Active Every Day Challenge, where parents and schools are encouraged to work with children to have more time active every day.
Teachers are encouraged to find ways to teach subjects in a more physically active way and, where possible, to bring learning outdoors.
The Irish Heart Foundation has created interactive Bizzy Breaks especially for #ASW22 to help schools integrate short physical activity breaks into the school day.
This year Cycling Ireland are encouraging schools to create a cycling obstacle course on their school grounds.
Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing & the National Drugs Strategy, Frank Feighan said that it is “vitally important” to encourage young people to get in the habit of being physically active.
Achieving this from a young age is something that will “benefit them for the rest of their lives” he added.
“The Active School Flag has been a key component of our wider Healthy Ireland goals in terms of improving children’s activity levels and wider health and wellbeing; it has been great to see it go from strength to strength and to expand its reach.”
