Ms Emer Egan:

We expect that schools will deliver the programme as it is outlined. Underpinning the SPHE and RSE programmes is a desire to develop children's life skills and their resilience and ability to evaluate the wide range of information and opinions coming at them all of the time. We do this in two ways. First, there are themes that are revisited from junior infants to leaving certificate and themes that are revisited at an age appropriate level. Second, the types of engagement with students during RSE and SPHE lessons is an experiential learning programme where they are presented with scenarios where they can identify what the issues are and how they might be dealt with. It is a very life-enhancing programme that has wonderful benefits for children. There are resources available to support schools in delivering those programmes. It is the case that a school must make decisions about the resources available to it but there are excellent resources available to enable schools deliver the curriculum in the broadest way.