Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 November 2020
551. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the ERSI/HSE report Talking about Sex and Sexual Behaviour of Young People in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37100/20]
View answerI welcome the publication last week of the ESRI Report “The Talking about Sex and Sexual Relationships of Young People in Ireland”. The report concentrates on where, how and when young people in Ireland get their information on sex and relationships, with the two main sources being parents and Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in school.
Parents’ relationship with their children was found to be the key determinant of whether or not a conversation on sex and relationships occurs between parent and children and how useful that conversation is likely to be.
The report also found that 55% of 13 year olds reported had been given RSE in school and by the age of 17, 90% of those surveyed reported had been given RSE in school, with females more likely than males to have reported receiving RSE, especially in the 13 year old cohort. A third of 17 year olds were found to rely totally on school-based RSE to get their information on sex and relationships, with no parental input.
Further findings include a significant variation in the provision of RSE at a school level. This was not found to be along the lines of school size, gender mix or ethos, which suggests that school policy and leadership play an important role in determining the level of RSE provision in schools. This is in agreement with previous research in this area. However, there was no significant link found between the level of RSE provision in schools and young people’s sexual behaviour and competence.
The report referenced that the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA)’s review into RSE a number of times. The NCCA review, along with the focus on wellbeing in the Framework for Junior Cycle was stated to provide an opportunity to consider the issue of how information and support on sex are provided in schools. However, the report cautioned that without significant parental involvement, even the most comprehensive and high quality RSE provision in schools is limited in the effectiveness it can have.
The National Council for Currriculum and Assessment (NCCA) conducted a thorough and transparent review, and published its report, “Report on the Review of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in primary and post-primary Schools” in December 2019. This Report was developed on foot of extensive consultation which was conducted between June 2018 and March 2019.
The NCCA report makes a number of recommendations. This includes primarily the development of a single integrated curriculum for RSE and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) in schools. Work on updating or developing new specifications for SPHE/RSE will commence in the NCCA in 2021, beginning with a focus on Junior Cycle. This work will include engagement with all the key education stakeholders as well as a further process of public consultation before any new curriculum specifications are finalised.
The NCCA has established two development groups, one for primary and one for post-primary, to oversee the work in this area and support the development of guidance material for schools. These groups were unable to commence their work until recently due to the COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings. However, meetings of these groups have been convened and will continue to be convened from December on an ongoing basis. This will allow them to review significant work that has been progressed.
The NCCA is currently developing interim guidance for SPHE and RSE across primary and post-primary levels. These support materials will be made available in the form of an online toolkit. They will provide guidance on how the current curriculum can be approached in a more holistic way. The materials have been to the development groups from October. It is anticipated that some guidance materials will be published before the end of 2020 and that they will be supplemented incrementally during 2021.
The NCCA has worked collaboratively with the teacher professional development support services and other relevant groups in completing an audit of current teaching and learning resources relevant to SPHE/RSE and compiled a comprehensive resource list which will be published as part of the online toolkit for SPHE/RSE. This will provide a single, online access point for up-to-date resources.
Further recommendations in the report in relation to Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) regarding SPHE and RSE are being considered by my Department with a view to putting enhanced supports in place.
