Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
483. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education what supports will be provided by her Department to the large number of children who will be excluded from SPHE classes due to the ethos of the new curriculum which is contrary to the ethos of their families. [36587/23]
View answerAccess to sexual and health education is an important right for students. Schools have a responsibility to provide for this, in consultation with parents. 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.
The redeveloped Junior Cycle SPHE specification was published by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) in May and is due to be rolled out in schools from this September.
Work on redeveloping the Senior Cycle SPHE specification is well underway. On July 12th last, the NCCA published a draft Senior Cycle SPHE specification for a public consultation which will run until October 18th. This three month window is to allow all interested individuals or groups to share their views and I would encourage anyone with views on this issue to engage with the consultation process.
Following publication of the Primary Curriculum Framework earlier this year, the NCCA have established a development group which has commenced development on updated primary specifications. It is expected that the draft specification for primary schools will be published in 2024, with a public consultation to follow this.
The work of updating the curricula in SPHE and RSE follows on from a 2019 NCCA review of RSE across primary and post-primary. The review involved students, parents, teachers, school leaders, researchers and organisations, with a view to gaining a full appreciation of the nature of young people's needs and experience of RSE and this included responses from nearly 8,000 parents. That review said there was unanimous agreement among students about the importance of RSE. Students said that they wanted a safe and inclusive environment where they can discuss, ask questions and talk about all aspects of relationships and sexuality.
Consultation is a core feature of the NCCA’s work in developing curricula. The NCCA consultation on the draft Junior Cycle specification took place from July to October 2022, three months rather than the normal six week consultation. Many parents, students and teachers as well as organisations with an interest in the area took the time to participate in the consultation process and more than 4,000 parents responded to the online survey element. Similarly, all feedback and suggestions gathered through the ongoing consultation of the draft Senior Cycle SPHE curriculum will be considered carefully by the NCCA and will inform the finalisation of the Senior Cycle SPHE course.
In accordance with Section 30 of the Education Act, 1998, parents have a right to have their children opt out of classes which are contrary to the conscience of the parent if they so wish. It is expected that this right be upheld by schools on foot of a parental request.
The manner in which any school ensures that the right to opt out of classes is upheld is a matter for the school concerned. The school must determine the particular arrangements which are most appropriate in its individual circumstances having regard to local issues such as available space, supervision requirements and how the school concerned organises classes etc.
