Peadar Clohessy
Question:6 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for Education if she will consider making the stay safe programme mandatory in schools. [13483/95]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Stay Safe Programme.
The implementation of the stay safe programme at classroom level in each individual case follows agreement between the board of management, the teacher and the parents involved.
It is essential that parents have the right to decline to have their children participate in the programme if they so wish. For this reason I do not envisage a situation where the programme would be made mandatory in schools.
I remain fully committed to this programme. To this end, my Department will continue to support the maximum implementation of the programme in all schools and to urge management authorities to continue to avail of the services provided by the programme team.
I am disappointed with the Minister's reply. I ask her to reconsider making the stay safe programme mandatory for a number of reasons. The Minister could allow individual parents to restrict their children participating in the programme. The main reason she should embark upon this course is because of the awful sexual abuse scandals that have come to light in the past few months and the increasing number of revelations. We are talking about the most vulnerable people in our society. The scale of recent revelations is horrifying but if we had a system whereby we could be assured that every school operated such a programme, it would at least stem the tide in this area.
This programme started in the Eastern Health Board area and has been made widely available only in the past number of years. I am awaiting the evaluation report on the stay safe programme in primary schools from the inspectorate and I will be making that available at the end of September. I want to encourage schools to adopt the stay safe programme without prescription. Approximately 80 per cent of schools are operating the programme and that is a satisfactory outcome when one considers that the programme was initially made available only in the Eastern Health Board area. A survey of the stay safe programme has been carried out and I believe the reassurance of parents will encourage the last remaining schools to consider operating the programme. The vast majority of parents surveyed expressed satisfaction with it. There was a strong endorsement of the programme from 73 per cent of the chairpersons of boards. A total of 79 per cent of school principals, 88 per cent of teachers and 98 per cent of parents also endorsed the programme. Of the 3,310 primary schools surveyed, 99.7 per cent have now availed of teacher training, 80 per cent have held meetings for parents and just under 60 per cent are already involved in the programme. Given the support of parents and managers and the continuing support of the teachers unions who have publicly declared their support for this programme, I expect we will move towards full availability of the stay safe programme without resorting to prescription or circulars.
I am happy to concur with the Minister that where the stay safe programme has operated it has been extremely successful and I am glad to hear the figures she has quoted. I would say to her, however, that school subjects are mandatory and something as basic as the protection of our children should be mandatory also. I ask her to seriously consider this. Schools can be persuaded in this regard but it will take time and we do not have that time when we are talking about vulnerable children. I urge the Minister to reconsider this matter. School subjects are important but our children are much more important.
I would refer the Deputy to the commitment in the White Paper to the development of the health in school programme. The health in school programme can include programmes which do not come under the specific stay safe programme. In endorsing the stay safe programme we say to parents that it meets the needs of children. It has grown from a small localised scheme to one which covers the entire educational system. The training has been completed and there is a network of 40 teachers for the support programmes. Through the development of a health in school programme, students are empowered to take decisions in regard to sex education. Had a magic wand been waved a couple of years ago we would not have in place the material, the training for teachers and the support of parents. I am confident we will look back on this time and say that within the health in school programme, for which each school has responsibility, the needs of the children today will be met in a way they were not met for their parents.