Ms Annette Honan:

I affirm what Dr. Sullivan said on the complex nature of the professional development needed to create confident and competent SPHE teachers, be that at primary or post-primary level. I think of the great American educator, Parker J. Palmer, who said we teach who we are. That is never more true than when it comes to the teaching of SPHE. That is why it is not only about professional development and giving teachers the knowledge of the subject and the skills to be able to facilitate open and non-judgmental conversations in the classroom with young people. It is also about the personal development piece, which is a very important part of professional development for teachers of SPHE. It gives them an opportunity to interrogate and understand their own particular biases and prejudices, including gender ones, that they might be bringing into the classroom. If that is not part of the professional development of teachers, we are doing a disservice to young people because we are all swimming in a sea of sexism and may not be aware of that.

Teachers' personal experience of RSE might not have been a very positive one. Again, it is about having an opportunity to interrogate that to become aware of it. The whole personal development piece is very important too. That is why I say the professional development piece for SPHE teachers is unique but it is really important it is done. It cannot be done in a once-off manner where someone comes out for one day and is then sorted. It needs to be ongoing and sustained.