Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

As the Deputy is aware, many positive developments in regard to the teaching of relationships and sexuality education, RSE, have taken place in recent years, and these have been further strengthened through making social, personal and health education, SPHE, a mandatory programme for junior cycle since September 2003. In addition, all schools are required to have an RSE programme at senior cycle.

Schools are currently supported in the implementation of RSE by the SPHE and RSE support services which are provided in collaboration with the health sector. The supports available to schools include guidelines on policy development, curricula and teacher guidelines, information for parents, teaching resource materials and teacher training. Schools are also encouraged to utilise the resources produced by the health promotion unit.

Earlier this month I launched a report, RSE in the context of SPHE: An Assessment of the Challenges to the Full Implementation of the Programme in Post-primary Schools, published jointly by the Crisis Pregnancy Agency and the Department of Education and Science. The report highlighted widespread support for both the broad principles and the content of the SPHE and RSE programmes from teachers, parents and health professionals and strong levels of interest and support from parents and students about the importance of RSE in schools.

The report also demonstrated increasing levels of implementation compared with earlier studies, with 76% of schools showing high or moderate levels of implementation, and with 90% of schools teaching RSE at some level. However, a clear need is highlighted to strengthen both implementation levels and consistency in regard to the content of RSE. In that context, my Department is taking a number of important steps which will remind all post-primary schools of their obligations in this area. It will update and re-issue the RSE policy guidelines and finalise a template on RSE policy in order to facilitate schools in developing and implementing RSE programmes; review and update RSE materials; develop lesson plans linked to a DVD resource on contraception, sexually transmitted infections and sexual orientation, in collaboration with the Health Service Executive and the Crisis Pregnancy Agency; and increase the level of information and training available to parents, building on a successful primary model and introduce a programme of subject inspections in this area with effect from 2007-08.

The availability of a national curriculum in SPHE at junior cycle has played a vital role in supporting increased implementation of RSE. I am aware of the development work undertaken to date by the NCCA in regard to a social personal and health education programme at senior cycle. This is now at an advanced stage, and I look forward to receiving the NCCA's recommendations in this regard at an early date. I am confident these initiatives will help to ensure full implementation of this vital aspect of social education in our schools.

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