Thursday 19th April - An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar along with Ministers Richard Bruton, Simon Harris and Catherine Byrne today welcomed Active School Week 2018 and the introduction of a new Active School Walkway initiative.
Active School Week (April 23–27) offers an opportunity for schools across the country to work together with students, parents, community and national sporting and health organisations on a broad range of physical activities. Another aspect of this year’s Active School Week is a new partnership with junior parkrun which is with schools locally.
An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar commented
Through Healthy Ireland, we’re aiming to get everyone moving, and that’s particularly important for children. There are lots of good things already happening in our schools as part of Healthy Ireland, such as the Active School Walkway initiative and partnership with 13 new junior park runs. We want to encourage and support children to have the best possible physical fitness and mental wellbeing. Being active is hugely important for our children’s health and will have a positive impact on them later in life too. And most important of all, it’s great fun.
Launching Active Schools Week, Minister for Education and Skills Richard Bruton said,
I am delighted to launch Active School Week. We know how important it is to be physically active, not only for our physical health but also as a means to encourage team building, develop confidence and for our mental health. I would encourage all schools to use the new Walkway and the other great ideas on the Active School Flag website to get more active, more often.
The launch of Active School Week 2018 and Active School Walkway took place at St Patrick’s Senior School in Corduff. The Active School Walkway resource developed by Active Schools in partnership with Get Ireland Walking, provides schools with an opportunity to introduce a walkway with colourful and durable outdoor sign posts to mark out a walking or running route around their school grounds. Active School Flag schools are encouraged to launch their walkway next week during Active School Week.
Minister for Health, Simon Harris said:
We all need to work together to get children active from an early age and to support parents and the education sector in building a culture of physical activity. Children and young people need to be active for at least 60 minutes every day. This will have many benefits to their physical and mental health and wellbeing. Children who are active are more likely to live healthy and happy lives and society as a whole will benefit.
Minister for Health Promotion, Catherine Byrne said,
Active School Week is a week where schools can demonstrate how to include fun and accessible physical activity into the school day. It provides an opportunity for schools, children, parents, and others across the wider community to work together and commit to becoming more physically active. It is encouraging to see many partnerships working together across sports bodies and education.
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. Active School Flag is administered through Mayo Education Centre.
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Visit www.activeschoolflag.ie