Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 April 2023
580. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education if she made the decision to include a book (details supplied) on the Junior Cycle Relationships and Sexuality Education 1 reading list for children as young as 12 years of age; and if not, which section within her Department made the decision. [17700/23]
View answer587. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education if she will conduct a review of all recommended book reading lists for primary and post primary schools to ensure that they are age-appropriate and do not contain age inappropriate graphic sexual imagery and language; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17834/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 580 and 587 together.
The development of a portal site where teachers can access Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) teaching and learning resources arose as a recommendation in the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment's (NCCA) 2019 Report on the Review of RSE in primary and post-primary schools. These online toolkits are published by the NCCA to support teachers in teaching SPHE at each stage of learning, and are found on curriculumonline.ie.
Across all three Toolkits (Primary, Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle) one of the three sections is entitled ‘Resources for learning and teaching’. The resources presented in the toolkits aim to provide a range of relevant materials for teachers to support teaching and learning in SPHE. Each resource should be considered by teachers with respect to the needs and interests of the school community, and a school’s SPHE and RSE policies, and are not intended to be exhaustive or prescriptive.
The ‘Resources for Teaching and Learning’ section of the toolkits include material which is intended to be used as background information/reading on the topic for the teacher.
The resources within these toolkits include resources developed by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the HSE has advised it is currently revising these in the context of the updating of the SPHE specification for Junior Cycle. The HSE has advised that the new versions of these resources will not include suggested or recommended reading lists for teachers or parents.
While the curriculum specification and prescribed syllabus material are determined by the NCCA, ultimately the decision on which resources, if any, most appropriately covers the curriculum rests with the school itself.
