Thousands of primary schools will be visited by Defence Forces staff for delivery of the national flag as part of 1916 commemorations.

The Department of Education and Skills intends that all 3,200 primary schools will receive a visit, starting next week, to prepare for a display of the Tricolour by students on Proclamation Day, March 15th, 2016.

The official presentation of the flag by a member of the Defence Forces will take a maximum of 20 minutes, schools were told in a circular this week.

The presentation will include a history of the national flag and the correct protocol for its use.

The Defence Forces member will also read at least part of the the Proclamation. Schools can nominate a pupil to read paragraph four of the document, beginning with: “The Irish Republic is entitled to, and hereby claims, the allegiance of every Irishman and Irishwoman . . .”

Secondary schools will also receive a national flag to display on Proclamation Day, in their case from the Thomas Francis Meagher Foundation.

The organisation honours the Irish patriot, US army general and governor of Montana who flew the first Tricolour flag on March 7th, 1848, from 33 the Mall, Waterford, at the Wolfe Tone Club.

Almost half of post-primary schools have received their flag, while the remainder will get theirs at a State ceremonial event, organised by the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht in Waterford next March.

The department has developed a teaching resource on the flag (scoilnet.ie) which includes worksheets, lesson plans and interactive quizzes.

Other elements of 2016 centenary programme for schools is the drafting of a “new Proclamation for 2016”, reflecting the values, ideals and aspirations of pupils now.

Students are also being encouraged to research their family tree under a 1916 ancestry project, and to document local history and folklore.

The Decade of Centenaries All-Island Schools History Competition will be organised for a third year next spring. Other school competitions in drama, song, art and poetry on a 1916 theme will be staged.

The department is also partnering with The Irish Times in producing two supplements about 1916 that are focused on schools.

The first will be published with this newspaper on Wednesday, September 23rd.

Material is being developed for transition year students by the Military Archives and NUI Maynooth, and a new Leaving Cert subject of politics and society will "ensure that 2016 promotes a legacy of encouraging an interest in politics and active citizenship".