Vol. 504 No. 7
93 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Education and Science the extent to which parenting is part of the school curriculum; the plans, if any, he has to introduce this subject into the curriculum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12789/99]
Parenting does not constitute a formal element in the primary school curriculum. However, children are constantly made aware of the importance of parenthood, of the respect due to parents and of the obligation there is to care for the needs of dependent younger children. Such matters are generally addressed on a cross-curricular basis, being given particular emphasis in the programmes on religious education and civics. In the revised primary curriculum soon to be implemented, a new subject area will be introduced called social, personal and health education or SPHE. It is intended that the objectives of the SPHE programme would be attained in a combination of three ways – through dedicated teaching periods, through a cross-curricular approach and through the influence of the overall school climate and atmosphere. One of the objectives of the SPHE programme for pupils in fifth and sixth classes will be to develop in the pupils an understanding of the responsibilities involved in being a parent and the emotional and physical maturity required to be one.
Parenting forms an important part of the curriculum at second level. At junior certificate level parenting is part of the subject matter within the social and health studies sector of the home economics syllabus which deals with the study of the family and the relationship between adolescents and parents. Parenting is also treated within the optional childcare section of this syllabus.
