Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 February 2004
4 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary and secondary schools offering the social, personal and health education syllabus; the number of schools in which the course is being implemented in full; if there are planned additions to the content of the course; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5418/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraSocial, personal and health education has been part of the national curriculum in all primary schools since September 2003. It is delivered to children at all levels from infants upwards. The content of the SPHE curriculum for primary schools was developed as part of the revised primary curriculum introduced in 1999. It provides opportunities to foster the personal development, health and well-being of the individual child and help the child to create and maintain supportive relations and become an active, responsible citizen.
All post-primary schools were required to implement SPHE as part of the junior cycle core curriculum from September 2003. The 2003-04 return of pupil information from 743 post-primary schools indicates that all post-primary schools are complying with this requirement. The content of the SPHE curriculum at junior cycle in post-primary schools builds on the new SPHE curriculum for primary schools. Its content is comprehensive and it is presented in ten modules which address topics and issues relevant to the lives of the students. An SPHE curriculum is being developed for senior cycle at present by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA. Consultation on the proposed content of this new curriculum took place last autumn. It is planned that relationship and sexuality education will be fully integrated into the new senior cycle SPHE curriculum when it is completed.
I welcome the fact that the SPHE programme is to be extended to the senior cycle. The Minister said that the 2003-04 return of pupil information from post-primary schools indicated that all 743 are implementing the programme. Is there a similar survey for primary schools and, if not, will one be undertaken? Will the Minister confirm that the programme is being implemented at each stage of primary school and each stage of the junior cycle in secondary school? Has the Minister taken steps to investigate whether each of the ten modules at junior cycle level is being given the required attention?
The Minister states that all primary schools are implementing the programme. Is he happy that each school is implementing it properly? There was a reluctance to implement the Stay Safe programme in a small minority of schools. Is the Minister satisfied that the SPHE programme is not facing difficulties of this kind?
Nothing negative has been brought to my attention about the implementation of the ten modules of the programme. The system has been in place in the primary school curriculum for some time and as far as I know there has been no problem with any aspect of implementation at that level.
The Deputy may also be referring to the senior cycle. The provision for social and personal development for students at senior cycle varies. It tends to be influenced by factors such as the culture and ethos of the school and the curriculum offered. There is no standard approach to implementation of the programme at this level. Some schools use workshops and seminars at certain periods during the senior cycle. In some cases schools have an integrated, cross-curricular approach. Some schools also teach social and personal education as a discrete subject, even if it is only taught once a week or once a month. Within transition year there is a variety of practices. While I have had no reports of problems at primary level or junior cycle, the situation is much more varied at senior cycle level.
The Minister mentioned there would be a review of the implementation of the programme at senior cycle level. When is this likely to be done? The idea of different schools following different approaches is a good one, once they cover the same ground. Will this remain the case at this level?
I do not want to anticipate what the NCCA will decide, but there is some merit, as the Deputy says, in having a flexible approach at senior level. I presume that will continue, but I cannot say what the recommendation of the NCCA will be. Consultation on the new curriculum took place last autumn so I expect we will hear something by the middle of this year, although I have no specific date.
