Brain Gym

Mr. Lidington
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost to public funds was of implementing the ‘brain gym’ programme in Northern Ireland’s schools in 2005-06.

Maria Eagle
The Regional Training Unit (RTU) which provides training to the education sector in Northern Ireland offers ‘brain gym’ training through its summer school programme. In 2005-06 the cost of RTU training from public funds was £5,920.00. None of the education and library boards directly funded the ‘brain gym’ programme in Northern Ireland’s schools in 2005-06. Individual schools may purchase training from their delegated budgets, but to obtain details of any such expenditure on ‘brain gym’ expenditure could be gathered only at disproportionate cost.