Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Was there any discussion in the Taoiseach's meetings with the religious leaders on the issue of the quality of sex education in schools? As the Taoiseach is aware, the vast majority of primary schools are controlled and owned by religious institutions. Approximately half of secondary schools are directly controlled by religious institutions, and it seems to me there is a Catholic ethos in many community and ETB schools. Does the Taoiseach believe it is possible to have real fact-based sex education in schools with a religious ethos? Would a teacher who was inclined to give such an education in all cases discount the question of ownership of the school, the ethos of the school and the question of a so-called chill factor? I wonder how issues such as contraception and abortion are taught in these schools. There is the question of the LGBT community and transgender young people. The very fact these schools are segregated is itself a form of discrimination against trans young people. What is taught in terms of transsexuality? What policies do these schools have with regard to flexibility on uniform policy for trans schoolchildren? Perhaps when the Taoiseach next meets the religious leaders it might be time to state it is time to separate church and State in the realm of education for many reasons, not least of which would be the provision of thorough, modern, fact-based education, including sex education, for the children of the nation.

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