SEVEN out of ten schools say that providing sporting activities is one of the main reasons of fund-raising, according to a new ASTI survey. It also shows that one in four schools has no playing fields. The information, which was gathered by Landsowne Market Research, shows "the uphill struggle faced by those providing physical education in second-level schools," says the ASTI.

John Mulcahy, ASTI president, says: "Ireland is one of the few countries in Europe where physical education is not a core, subject." Following the recent publication of Targeting Sporting Change in Ireland, 1997 - 2006 and Beyond The Strategic Plan, the ASTI says that Ireland must make PE a core subject, as it is in the rest of Europe. The ASTI points out that the report recognised that second-level schools have a "crucial role to play in laying the groundwork for lifelong involvement in sport".

However, Mulcahy says that "the lack of specific targets for the development of physical education and the absence of any commitment to increased funding for facilities and equipment in schools are the two most obvious omissions for teachers from the Review on Sport in Ireland chaired by John Treacy".

The survey, carried out before Christmas, revealed that four out of ten schools have no tennis courts and two-thirds of schools employ no sports coaches.