Aodhán Ó Ríordáin
Ceist:258. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if she will instigate a full review of the school's wellbeing curriculum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9936/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 5 March 2024
Ceisteanna (258)
Freagraí scríofa
As Minister, I am committed to inclusive education for all. My Department is fully committed to creating safe and supportive environments in schools that are welcoming and inclusive for every student.
The area of wellbeing and the promotion of positive mental health is a priority for my Department. This includes promoting emotional wellbeing, resilience and positive coping skills, which support children and young people to manage the complexities of modern life. My Department’s approach to supporting wellbeing and mental health is set out in its Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice, which informs the ongoing work in the area of student wellbeing and mental health. The approach in the Wellbeing Policy is founded on research and best international practice in relation to how schools can best support the wellbeing and mental health of children and young people.
Work to develop a new curriculum specification for Wellbeing, including SPHE, at Primary level, is being undertaken currently by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, or NCCA. This work follows on from the publication of the Primary Curriculum Framework in March 2023, which set out proposals for the redevelopment of the primary curriculum. It is intended that public consultation on a draft specification will commence this month, and will run till June 2024, with the intention of introducing in schools in the 2025/2026 school year. There will be an opportunity for anyone with an interest in this area, for example, teachers, parents and education stakeholders, to give their input and I strongly encourage you to do so.
At post-primary, the Wellbeing area of the Curriculum at Junior Cycle includes Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE). An updated Junior Cycle SPHE specification was published by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) in May 2023 and was rolled out for first years in all schools from last September. The updated Junior Cycle specification provides clear direction on the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that all students should gain during the three years of Junior Cycle SPHE. It places a strong focus on the development of important life skills that young people need growing up in a fast changing and complex world. The SPHE specification is grounded in values of respect, equality, inclusivity, responsibility, dignity, compassion and empathy. The Deputy may wish to note that work is ongoing to update the SPHE specification for Senior Cycle and a draft specification was published for consultation in July 2023, with the consultation running until 3rd November last.
Schools are encouraged to use a reflective, school self-evaluation approach to identify and prioritise the needs of their own school community in relation to the promotion of wellbeing and mental health, and to respond to meeting those needs. To support schools in this work the Department funded Teacher Education Support Service, Oide, provides training to schools to ensure that the promotion of wellbeing is at the core of the ethos of every school. The role of Oide’s Health and Wellbeing teams is to support leaders, teachers and schools in the development and promotion of students’ emotional, social, personal and physical health and wellbeing in the context of a positive health-promoting school environment.
In addition, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) of my Department provides a comprehensive, school-based psychological service to all primary and post primary schools through the application of psychological theory and practice to support the wellbeing, academic, social and emotional development of all learners. NEPS have lead responsibility for Wellbeing Policy Implementation and NEPS teams offer training and guidance for teachers in the provision of universal and targeted evidence-informed approaches and early intervention to promote children’s wellbeing, social, emotional and academic development.
A dedicated wellbeing portal is also available, bringing together all the wellbeing supports and resources that have been developed by the Department and the Department’s support services, which is available under ‘Wellbeing for Education’ on gov.ie.