Abbey VS students among first to take on PE as a Leaving Cert subject

Minister for Education and Skills, Joe McHugh T.D., has visited Abbey Vocational School, Donegal, to meet with the students of the school who are among the first to undertake an examinable Leaving Certificate subject on Physical Education (LCPE).

Abbey Vocational School was among the first tranche of 80 schools around the country selected to provide both P.E. as a Leaving Certificate subject and the new Senior Cycle Physical Education Framework, announced last February.

A total of 369 schools applied to participate in the phase 1 roll-out, showing an outstanding demand across the country for Physical Education at Senior Cycle.

Speaking after meeting with staff and students at the school, Minister McHugh said, “There is great enthusiasm among students at Abbey Vocational School for PE at Leaving Certificate.  It’s brilliant to see.

“The students are part of an historic group becoming the first to sit a Leaving Certificate PE exam in 2020 and walk away with a grade and an experience that will stand to them for the rest of their lives.

“We know how important it is to be fit, active and engage in sports and games, for boys and girls.  It’s good, not just for our physical health but also as a means of encouraging team building, developing confidence and protecting and improving mental health and well being.

“I hope that every student taking LCPE will find it both a challenge and a motivation.  The goal is to give young people something that will give them a life-long appreciation of sport, fitness and physical activity.”

Students at Abbey Vocational School taking the new Leaving Certificate subject from September 2018 will sit the first Leaving Certificate Physical Education (LCPE) exam in 2020. The subject can be taken at both higher and ordinary levels.

The new Leaving Certificate Physical Education examinable subject will have three assessment components.

Students will be required to complete a physical activity project, a performance assessment and a written examination. Sports psychology and skill techniques will be among the areas studied.