Mr. Eamonn Moran:

My colleague, Ms Amanda Geary, might speak later about the provision of SPHE and RSE at post-primary level. On the development of policy, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, advises the Department and the Minister on curriculum policy in schools. We get policy advice in the form of draft curriculum specification for all of our curriculums from the NCCA, including science, technology, engineering and mathematics, STEM, SPHE and RSE. The NCCA represents almost all of the education partners, including parents, school leaders, schools and teachers. The policy advice that goes to the Minister is agreed by the NCCA council. The Minister will ultimately decide whether to approve the curriculum specification. The same policy would apply for SPHE as for STEM subjects. That is the process.

I make the point that the initial NCCA process is representative of all the players involved in this area. Ultimately, the Minister is the person who approves policy in that area.

The Deputy asked what happens if a school is not providing a particular element of the curriculum. In this particular case she refers to SPHE and RSE. My inspector colleagues can speak further on this as they wish, but I mentioned the inspection regime in the schools. When inspections are performed, the inspectors will seek to ensure that SPHE and RSE curriculum is being delivered in the school as per specification. Interestingly, the inspectorate reports have noted a number of positives in this area. Perhaps this harks back to points made earlier by other Deputies and Senators. There is a positive school and classroom climate for supporting the teaching of SPHE and RSE. There is recognition now that it is a whole-school responsibility rather than the responsibility of an individual person. Things have moved on in that area. The schools where SPHE and RSE are more successfully implemented make more effective use of teaching methodologies and resources provided for SPHE and RSE.

My colleagues from the inspectorate mentioned the curriculum resources that are developed by our professional development services by teachers, PDST, and by a number of other Departments and areas active in this field.