Rules re Childrens recreational breaks in school

Tipsygypsy

Hi, I've been trawling the Dept website to find out what the rules are for Primary schools in relation to lunch breaks and recreational breaks. Can anyone point me in the right direction.
Specifically I'm looking for the length of time they are supposed to have for each. And whether or not the school are allowed to enforce a particular activity during the supposed break time.
Im also wondering if a child can be excluded from a particular afterschool activity based on their not wanting to participate in an activity that is held during their lunch break.
I have a son who says he has been told that he HAS to participate in a particular sport during his lunchbreak if he wishes to continue to play that sport in the afterschool sessions. But it sounded more like he was being given a punishment, because he says another child has been told that its no problem.
Just trying to get my facts straight before I take it up with the school.
Thanks
Tipsy

ANXIOUS

Deep breath and think am I getting worked up over nothing?

Tipsygypsy

ANXIOUS wrote: »

Deep breath and think am I getting worked up over nothing?

Thanks, that's really really helpful. But, do you happen to have any information on the questions asked in opening post?

Big Bag of Chips

Usually kids tell their version / perception of what's happened. A chat to the teacher might tell you otherwise.

Just don't assume your child is being singled out. What I mean is don't go in to the school on the attack. You can ask how long they get for breaks, and you can ask whoever is running the after school club what the story is.

Calm chat with someone should sort it all out pretty quickly.

Tipsygypsy

Thanks, I have already sent a very polite email asking for the issue to be clarified and in the meantime what I want is a copy of the guidelines involved so that I know the Department Of Eds policies re recreational time and afterschool activities. This is not the first time this issue has come up.

byhookorbycrook

http://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/PC11_95.pdf

In our school the sports training is done mainly at lunchtime (and the teacher is giving up their own lunchtime to so) and the matches are generally after school.

If someone didn't come to training ,I don't see why they should be on a team panel. If you don't train with a team in whatever sport, you really can't look to be on a team.

I very much doubt the DES will even engage with you on this. The first port of call should be the school in any case.

Tipsygypsy

Thanks. The situation is not exactly as you have perceived though.... He's being excluded from the weekly training sessions (Which are outside of school hours) because he doesn't want to play during his very short lunchbreak, which is not a training session and is uncoached and supervised only by whoever is on lunch duty. No staff member is giving up their time as in your schools case. It has nothing to do with commitment or competition. There are other children who already train in afterschool sesssions without joining in on the lunch 'rota' with no problem.

(For clarity - It would be like the afterschool spanish teacher insisting that he spend his lunchbreak working on his spanish)

I did see that doc, so my understanding is they have 30 mins at main lunch but does that include eating time (He never has time to eat his full lunch, which is a compliant I hear from all parents at the gate) But what I suppose what I really need to know is can the school force him to participate in a particular activity during his lunchbreak. Or is the recreational break supposed to be 'free time'?

Also, Just for the record, I'm not looking to engage with the DES. I'm just trying to have my facts straight. This is not the first time this issue has come up.

byhookorbycrook

If other children are doing after school and not lunch time, then yes, I think I'd query it. Yes, lunch is 30 mins and that has to include eating time,the DES have been quite clear on this through the inspectorate.

Big Bag of Chips

Is there a chance that your son is not that interested in the sport, either during break or at the after school time? And the teacher is basically giving him an "out"?

Tipsygypsy

Big Bag of Chips wrote: »

Is there a chance that your son is not that interested in the sport, either during break or at the after school time? And the teacher is basically giving him an "out"?

The opposite in fact. He does love it, hes very upset by this threat. Hes a very sporty child and has been regularly praised for his skill. He just prefers to spend his free time playing his first preference sport. He plays on every sporting activity at the school, is on every team and attends all training sessions and games, (even when not on panel). It's one of the only things he likes about school.

killbillvol2

There are a number of children in my school that we insist play football at break times. When they're not playing football they tend to get up to no good. There's almost never an issue when they're engaged in a game.

In any case, we're talking in a vacuum here if you haven't asked the school what the issue is.

Tipsygypsy

Tipsygypsy wrote: »

Thanks, I have already sent a very polite email asking for the issue to be clarified and in the meantime what I want is a copy of the guidelines involved so that I know the Department Of Eds policies re recreational time and afterschool activities. This is not the first time this issue has come up.

killbillvol2 wrote: »

There are a number of children in my school that we insist play football at break times. When they're not playing football they tend to get up to no good. There's almost never an issue when they're engaged in a game.

In any case, we're talking in a vacuum here if you haven't asked the school what the issue is.

Thanks, yep, not the case he, as I mentioned earlier he wants to play a different sport at lunch time, its not to keep them busy. And as above, I have emailed the school. As of right now, 48 hours later, I have had no response to my query, but my son has been taken aside and been talked to about it again.
And essentially told that their position has not changed.

indigo twist

Are you sure they check their email regularly? Wouldn't a phone call resolve this more quickly? Or even just call in and talk to the teacher(s) involved.

killbillvol2

Tipsygypsy wrote: »

Thanks, yep, not the case he, as I mentioned earlier he wants to play a different sport at lunch time, its not to keep them busy. And as above, I have emailed the school. As of right now, 48 hours later, I have had no response to my query, but my son has been taken aside and been talked to about it again.
And essentially told that their position has not changed.

You need to talk to someone face to face in that case I think.

Tipsygypsy

Yep, the email was mentioned to my son, so they have definitely read it and definitely chosen to go back to him with it instead of coming back to me. My husband is trying to get a meeting. So hopefully it will be resolved. Like all of the contributors I am trying to see the logic or sense in it, but I just can't. Thanks for all contributions though, I do want it to be resolved with the minimum of fuss, but hes very upset about it