Access to sexual and health education is an important right for students. Schools have a responsibility to provide for this, in consultation with parents, having regard to the ethos of the school. Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is a mandatory curriculum subject in all primary schools and in post-primary junior cycle. Relationships and Sexuality Education (or RSE) is required at all levels, from primary through to senior cycle. My Department has set out the content for each of these programmes in SPHE syllabuses and guidelines.
The current SPHE/RSE curriculum at both primary and post primary facilitates teaching and learning about consent.
At primary level, the Stay Safe Programme is a mandatory part of the SPHE programme. The primary SPHE programme as a whole is also due to be updated by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) as part of the work resulting from the NCCA’s review of RSE provision in schools.
At post primary level, two programmes are in place which come under the heading of Personal Safety. One of these programmes is for Junior Cycle which addresses personal safety in relationships and explores topics such as healthy and unhealthy relationships, consent and domestic gender-based and sexual violence. The other programme, which is for Senior Cycle, addresses topics such as domestic violence, sexual harassment, dating violence and rape. Both of these programmes were designed by the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) and are intended to be taught as part of the wider SPHE/RSE curriculum. Professional development support is available to teachers, directly linked to these resources.
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’.
In April 2018, the then Minister for Education and Skills asked the NCCA to undertake a major review of 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 Report on the Review of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in primary and post-primary schools was published by the NCCA in December, 2019.
The NCCA was asked to look at a number of specific issues in respect of RSE and the curriculum. These included but were not limited to consent; developments in relation to contraception; healthy positive, sexual expression and relationships; safe use of the Internet and social media and its effects on relationships and self-esteem; and LGBTQ+ matters.
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 of the NCCA has been on creating support materials for teachers for publication online as part of an Interim Guidance Toolkit. The toolkit's purpose is to support effective teaching and learning of SPHE/RSE linked to the current curriculum and to provide guidance on how SPHE/RSE may be approached in a more holistic way. This work is progressing well and sections of the toolkit (a portal repository of teaching and learning resources linked to the Primary SPHE Curriculum, the SPHE JC Short Course and SC SPHE Framework) have now been published.
The NCCA online SPHE toolkits will be expanded during 2022 to include age and stage appropriate guidance for teachers on how to address issues of consent, gender and sexual discrimination and violence, and related topics within the SPHE classroom.
In tandem with the development of the online Toolkit, preparation for redeveloping and updating the SPHE curriculum is progressing. Updated curricula will be developed for Primary, Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle. A draft revised Junior Cycle specification is due to be agreed at NCCA Council by the summer, with a public consultation to follow when schools return in September. The final revised specification is due to be completed by the end of 2022 and rolled out in schools from September 2023. Updated specifications for primary and senior cycle will follow afterwards.
In redeveloping the SPHE curriculum, the NCCA will be making explicit the importance of consent education and naming consent within the learning outcomes for RSE, across all levels, based on the principle that consent is a core dimension of all healthy interpersonal relationships.
In addition to developing updated curricula and support materials the NCCA will contribute to facilitating interagency collaboration and linkages between the formal and non-formal education sector to enhance the sharing of expertise, learning and resources related to RSE. The NCCA will also initiate networking between groups/agencies working to support schools on targeted initiatives, such as consent and LGBTQI+ issues.
