Mr. Des Hogan:

The Irish Human Rights Commission, IHRC, is delighted to have been invited here today to speak about the new junior cycle programme and, in particular, civic, social and political education, CSPE. The IHRC was established under statute in 2000 to promote and protect the human rights of everyone in the State and as a direct product of the Good Friday Agreement. The commission is recognised as Ireland’s National Human Rights Institution, NHRI, under the United Nations Paris Principles. Committee members may be aware that the commission will shortly merge with the Equality Authority to form the new enhanced Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.

One of the commission’s functions is to monitor and review the State’s compliance with its human rights obligations including education that strengthens human rights. The scope of human rights education in post-primary settings was examined by the IHRC in "Human Rights Education in Ireland – An Overview", a report published in 2011 and launched by the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn. One of its main findings was that CSPE is by far the most explicit form of human rights education in the curriculum.

First, the commission would like to welcome certain aspects of the new junior cycle programme, including the introduction of portfolio-based assessment, greater choice with short courses, the human rights-oriented statements of learning and the focus on literacy. However, for such measures to work there must be a clear implementation strategy, meaningful revision of subject syllabi, sufficient initial and in-service teacher training and subjects such as CSPE must remain State examinable.

The thrust of our presentation today concentrates on the proposed removal of CSPE as a compulsory State-examinable subject to be replaced by a short course within the new junior cycle programme. Currently, CSPE is the only explicit opportunity available to all students in Ireland to experience learning that equips them for what the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child describes as “a responsible life in a free society” as active, participatory citizens. Consequently, the IHRC is of the view that CSPE should remain a compulsory State-examinable subject, as it clearly demonstrates Ireland’s compliance with its international obligations in this field. Efforts to mainstream human rights values in other subjects should be complementary to and build on CSPE.

The rationale for retaining CSPE as a mandatory State-examinable subject can be set out under a number of principles. First, its retention as a mandatory subject would assist the State to demonstrate how it is meeting its obligations to provide education that strengthens human rights. It could form the cornerstone on which to integrate human rights into other subjects.

Second, CSPE promotes active citizenship based on human rights. A subject on citizenship has been a compulsory part of the post-primary curriculum since the then Minister for Education, Donogh O’Malley, introduced civics in 1966. The subject has evolved since then to meet changes in society and how we view ourselves in the world. CSPE has its origins in the UN Decade for Human Rights Education from 1995 to 2004, as is evident in its stated aim, which is to provide students with the knowledge and skills for active participatory citizenship based on human rights, enabling them to critically question, have empathy and engage with the world around them. Research demonstrates that because of the action project component of CSPE, young people are engaging more with the world around them and human rights themes are some of the most popular topics addressed.

The 2007 task force on active citizenship recommended the expansion of education for citizenship in the school system and specifically recommended the strengthening of the role of CSPE in that regard. The re-designation of CSPE as non-compulsory would mean that citizenship education would not be available to all students for the first time since 1966. The positive impact of CSPE is revealed in international research. In an international civic and citizenship study of 14 year olds across 38 countries, Ireland ranked seventh out of the countries studied, with its final score substantially ahead of the international average, due in no small part to the fact that CSPE is mandatory and State examinable. This research is backed up with evidence from the United Kingdom that suggests that a strong citizenship education subject in the curriculum is the most effective way of promoting equality, human rights, democracy and social justice within the curriculum.

Third, CSPE supports responses to diversity in schools. Ireland is an increasingly diverse society, which brings many challenges. There has been an active response by successive Ministers of Education to promote diversity in education through the development of Traveller culture, inter-cultural and homophobic bullying guidelines. The CSPE curriculum provides the space for schools wishing to respond positively and effectively to cultural and other forms of diversity, and to move this State towards becoming a truly inter-cultural society.

Fourth, CSPE provides a space to address sensitive issues. The active methodologies of CSPE, supplemented by continuous professional development, support teachers and students to address issues and confront attitudes and behaviours that conflict with human rights and equality principles. Often it is in school that we first learn about and are able to confront such attitudes and behaviours.

Fifth, CSPE increases political and social literacy. The emphasis on improving literacy in the new junior cycle is very welcome. We concur with the view that an important aspect of CSPE is its ability to students to acquire a level of political literacy necessary for accessing democratic society and to demystify political systems, to provide both the language and the skills needed for democratic participation. The removal of CSPE as a compulsory subject could deprive students of the opportunity to develop strong political and social literacy. CSPE is also a foundation for the new subject, politics and society. The gap in the senior cycle for a subject that addresses philosophy, politics, democracy and human rights, equality, and global interdependence was finally addressed after more than eight years of good consultation and deliberation, with the development of the very exciting and much anticipated politics and society subject. While science is the foundational subject for students in the junior cycle who wish to branch out in to biology, physics or chemistry in the senior cycle, from a humanities perspective, the curriculum of CSPE is an important foundation for politics and society.

Sixth, CSPE makes a vital contribution to the development of a whole-school approach. The IHRC considers that realisation of the full potential of the CSPE curriculum is supported by a whole-school approach. School councils and other such representative spaces give young people the opportunity to participate in decision-making and enables them to put into practice the principles of human rights and democracy fostered in the CSPE curriculum.

Finally, CSPE allows for the views of young people to be expressed, heard and taken into account, which is a key requirement of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. When young people were consulted on the junior cycle reform, they said they wanted CSPE to be restructured, taught differently and given more time. It is worth noting that CSPE and SPHE were two of the subjects that young people considered should be compulsory at junior cycle.

The Irish Human Rights Commission recommends that CSPE should remain as a compulsory State-examinable subject in the new junior cycle programme. Ireland has an obligation under international human rights law to provide education on human rights to children here. CSPE is currently the only component of the post-primary curriculum that explicitly meets Ireland’s commitments in this regard. CSPE lessons provide the only opportunity available to every student in Ireland to experience learning that equips them as active participatory citizens that will forge the more caring, rights-respecting, equal and democratic society to which we all aspire. If the State proceeds to render the subject non-compulsory, it must be in a position to demonstrate how it proposes to adequately meet its international obligations under these conventions. In the absence of clear defensible evidence to this end, the State will be seen to be retreating from its human rights commitments in this area.