Vol. 395 No. 1
91 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Education the progress, if any, which has been made in implementing the pilot scheme for AIDS education in 20 post-primary schools; when it is intended to extend the scheme to all second level schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The pilot project on the use of a set of educational resource materials on AIDS, developed by the Departments of Education and Health, was implemented and completed in 20 post-primary schools during the first term of the current school year. The revision of the materials has commenced now, taking into account the feedback from the schools involved in the pilot and taking account, as well, of the views of the bodies which have been asked to provide comments on the materials.
These bodies were: the Catholic Bishops' Commission on Education; the Church of Ireland Board of Education; the Methodist Board of Education; the Presbyterian Commission for Education; the Conference of Major Religious Superiors; the Joint Managerial Body for Secondary Schools; the Irish Vocational Education Association; the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools; the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland; the Teachers' Union of Ireland and the National Parents Council (Secondary Section).
When the revision is completed it is intended to make the materials available to post-primary schools generally. Comments have not been received yet from all the bodies invited to provide views but it is expected that they will do so in the near future. In the circumstances, it is not possible to give a definite date for completion of the revision of the materials but it is hoped that they will be finalised before the end of the present school year.
