Ireland Launches Annual Challenge to Integrate Daily Movement into School Curricula

Ireland is advancing a national commitment to physical health through the annual 'Active Break Every Day' challenge, an initiative designed to embed regular movement into the daily structure of educational institutions nationwide. This educational strategy positions physical activity as a fundamental component of student well-being and academic engagement, rather than an ancillary subject.

The challenge officially commenced on January 13, 2026, and is scheduled to run through February 13. The launch was led by key government figures, including Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton, who took office in November 2025, and Minister of State for Public Health and Well-being Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, who began her tenure in January 2025. Minister Naughton emphasized the primary objective: cultivating positive physical activity habits among youth, a focus consistent with her background as a former primary school teacher.

This undertaking is a collaboration involving the Department of Education and Youth, Healthy Ireland, and the Active School Flag (ASF) programme, which has supported school activity for over 15 years. A significant partner for this year's event is the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). The GAA's contribution includes providing registered schools with a series of classroom movement break videos, filmed at Croke Park grounds, which are available in both English and Irish.

The 'Active Break Every Day' challenge is one of several activities promoted by the ASF programme, which accredits schools for establishing physically educated and active communities under the motto 'More Schools. More Active. More Often.' The ASF programme itself, established by the Department of Education and Skills in 2010, supports primary and special schools. Furthermore, the whole-school approach is set for strategic expansion, with the Active School Flag Post Primary (ASFPP) accreditation process slated for launch in September 2026, initially inviting fifty post-primary schools to join the structured program.

The initiative aims to support teachers in seamlessly integrating short, varied movement breaks into daily instruction across the four-week period to energize the school day. This coordinated effort reinforces the national commitment to physical literacy, building upon the ASF programme's existing year-round offerings, such as the 'SKIP Around the World' challenge.