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School Curriculum

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 September 2021

Tuesday, 28 September 2021

Questions (459)

Neale Richmond

Question:

459. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Education if she plans to broaden the sex education provided in secondary schools to be more inclusive of those in the LGBTQ+ community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46372/21]

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Written answers

The Programme for Government states that ‘this Government will develop inclusive and age appropriate curricula for Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) across primary and post-primary schools, including an inclusive programme on LGBTI+ relationships and make appropriate legislative changes, if necessary’.

In April 2018, the then Minister for Education and Skills asked the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to undertake a major review of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools across all stages of education to ensure that it is fit for purpose and meets the needs of young people today in modern Ireland.

The Final Report on the Review of RSE in Primary and Post-primary Schools was published by the NCCA in December, 2019.

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.

The immediate focus of the work is on creating support materials for teachers for publication online as part of the Interim Guidance Toolkit. The toolkit's purpose is to support effective teaching and learning of SPHE/RSE linked to the current curriculum. This work is progressing well, with sections of the toolkit linked to the Primary SPHE Curriculum, the SPHE Junior Cycle Short Course and Senior Cycle SPHE Framework.

In tandem with the development of the online Toolkit, preparation for the broader redeveloping and updating of the SPHE curriculum as recommended in the NCCA Report has begun, with an initial focus on Junior Cycle. It is expected that a draft of the updated Junior Cycle SPHE specification will be available for public consultation in early 2022.

These curriculum materials being developed by the NCCA will include updated materials to facilitate the effective coverage of LGBTQ+ matters as part of the curriculum.

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