Vol. 525 No. 2
862 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will give details of a programme for 15 year old transitional year students in relation to Life Safe issues; if this programme is for male students only; the reasons for this selective approach; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24235/00]
I presume that the Deputy is referring to the Exploring Masculinities programme. This is a programme in personal and social development for transition year and senior cycle young men, age 15-18 years. The programme, a manual, including teaching materials and video, is available to schools to use as resource material.
The programme covers a wide range of issues that are relevant to the lives of males and puts them in the context of the changes that are affecting the lives of men and women in the world of today, economic, legislative, social. It is based on recommendations from extensive research and from Government reports and is set within the legislative framework of this country and the European Union as well as the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The programme was initiated by the equality committee of my Department in 1995 and was developed in association with the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland. It was externally evaluated by a team of educationalists from the University of Limerick.
There have been a number of programmes in gender equality for girls since the mid-1980s. In the early 90s, the European Commission issued guidelines in relation to the need to develop educational materials which would specifically address the issue of equal opportunities for boys and girls, women and men. This country was invited to participate in an initiative in this area and the materials developed as part of this initiative, BALANCE-Who cares?, are in use in a large number of single sex girls schools and co-educational schools. However, since there was little take-up of the materials in single sex boys schools, despite their being made available to them, the Exploring Masculinities programme was developed, specifically targeted at single-sex boys schools.
