- Gender, age, time, cost and academic pressures all featured as barriers to physical activity for students who took part in UL survey.
New ɫƵ research has revealed that only 18 per cent of secondary school students are getting the recommended daily amount of physical activity.
The findings are included in a UL survey into the physical activity of over 20,000 students in post-primary schools in Ireland.
The Active School Flag Post-Primary (ASFPP) Student Survey Report 2024 was part of a pilot project of the Active School Flag (ASF) initiative, which took place across 42 schools in Ireland.
According to the survey, only 18 per cent of students meet the daily recommended 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity.
The survey also revealed that the proportion of ASFPP students engaging in daily moderate to vigorous physical activity is six per cent higher than the national average.
The initiative promotes physical activity in schools and aims to support schools to maximise opportunities for students and staff to be physically active during the school day. It has been designed to complement the existing Physical Education (PE) curriculum in schools and to get ‘More Schools. More Active. More Often’.
ɫƵ researchers Professor Catherine Woods and Dr Kwok Ng, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, have been collaborating with the Department of Education and Youth on the ASF Programme since 2018.
Professor Catherine Woods, UL’s Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences (PESS) and Director of the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre in UL, outlined the potential impact this data could have.
“This data provides an opportunity for multiple Government departments, agencies and organisations to understand and learn from the students themselves how to address the complex problem of inactivity in this age group,” explained Professor Woods.
The initiative has been running successfully in primary schools for over 15 years, and the progression to post-primary schools is a milestone moment in the promotion of physical activity and health among school communities in Ireland.
The research found that the ASF programme helped schools to build an ethos around the promotion of physical activity within post-primary schools, including students, staff, management, and the community.
More key findings include
- Only 18 per cent of students meet the daily recommended 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA).
- Rates drop sharply with age: 20 per cent of junior cycle students are active daily vs just 14 per cent of senior cycle students.
- Girls are disproportionately inactive: only 12 per cent of females meet daily MVPA guidelines compared to 24 per cent of males.
- 80 per cent of students thought that lunchtime is too short for including physical exercise.
- 70 per cent cited academic pressure as a top barrier.
- 36 per cent of students say physical activity options in their community are too expensive.
- 62 per cent cite homework/exam pressure as a barrier to community sport and activity.
- Uniform discomfort is a major issue: 58 per cent dislike participating in PE in uniform, especially girls (66 per cent).
- In the community, self-consciousness and lack of friends participating are major barriers for girls (48 per cent and 40 per cent, respectively).
- Students want more inclusive activities, better promotion, and accessible facilities.
UL researchers played a vital role working with the Department of Education and Youth and Active School Flag staff to create ASF structures, and core components such as the shared leadership programme, and the communication toolkit. This research identified the need for flexible applications, tailored to the school’s needs.
Minister for Education and Youth Helen McEntee and Minister of State at the Department of Health Jennifer Murnane O’Connor officially launched the report along with the Active School Flag Post-Primary Programme (ASFPP) at a recent event at Farmleigh, Dublin.
Minister McEntee thanked the UL researchers involved in co-designing the programme for post-primary level.
“We have seen the great results that have been achieved by primary schools, and I have no doubt we’ll see the same in our post-primary schools. This presents a fantastic opportunity for whole school communities to come together and ensure students and staff have multiple opportunities to be active throughout the school day.”
Dr Kwok Ng from UL’s Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences (PESS) and the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre (PAfH), explained the importance of having access to this volume of data.
“This is the first time we have been able to get data from around 20,000 students in post-primary schools. These students shared their experiences of participation in the Active School Flag programme. They also shared their individual physical activity behaviours, active transport to and from school, as well as information about their participation in the community, barriers and their ideas for what they would like to see in the future,” he explained.
“There are take-home messages for each of the relevant departments to promote physical activity in schools, during the school day, and beyond and in the community,” he added.
The findings have informed the 2025 Programme for Government to expand the initiative to promote physical activity and health among school communities, with 50 new post-primary schools invited to join the Active School Flag Post-Primary programme, commencing in September 2026.
For further information, visit