Seanad debates

Wednesday, 28 March 2018

10:30 am

Photo of Fintan WarfieldFintan Warfield (Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House. As he may know, calls for inclusive and robust relationships and sexuality education, RSE, and social, personal and health education, SPHE, curricula have been made for some time. It is has come to the fore in recent months, having been reflected in the ancillary recommendations of the Citizens' Assembly and Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution and it is the top priority of the LGBTI+ youth strategy for which 4,000 respondents made a similar call. It has become apparent that the current model is not fit for purpose. The ad hoc nature of SPHE and RSE is failing to fully equip young people with positive and informed outlooks on their sexual health, self-care, body image, relationships, gender identity, contraception, consent and sexuality. For young people, who are learning how to have relationships and going through their formative years, the value of teaching positive ideals to them will shape their outlooks throughout their lives.This is not the case when elements are excluded. When LGBTQI young people or young people with disabilities are excluded from these conversations, they are forced to attempt to piece together an informed, but potentially distorted, view of relationships and sexuality from a one-size-fits-all model that is delivered in a heterosexual and able-bodied context in the hope of staying safe. When consent is excluded from the conversation, we fail to teach young people how to respect another's boundaries or give confidence in asserting their own.

I have worked with the Senators Grace O‘Sullivan and Lynn Ruane on this issue for almost a year, meeting a variety of different teachers, students, groups and organisations to understand how we could bring about robust and inclusive curricula. First, there is a major obstacle in legislation, namely the Education Act 1998, which determines that ethos-based schools can essentially derogate from certain aspects of a curriculum that they believe contravene the "characteristic spirit" of a school.While the Department has issued circulars stating that schools are required to teach "all aspects of family planning, STIs and sexual orientations", they also should also uphold the ethos of the school. The issue is that this creates a grey area and many schools either act with indifference, omission or direct defiance of this circular, leaving teachers too afraid or vulnerable to suggest inclusive elements. This is a constant theme.

Furthermore, many teachers do not feel supported, adequately trained, resourced and insisted upon to teach all aspects of SPHE and RSE. They feel that, by and large, schools treat it as a box-ticking exercise and a distraction from core subjects, and do not appreciate its potential. Many teachers have received no formal training and what we are hearing is that the curriculum is ad hoc and, in practice, lacks formal characteristics. Not all ethos-based schools confine the SPHE and RSE models to heterosexuality and many work hard to ensure their pupils are informed in an inclusive setting.

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for raising the issue. He has another busy day, as he is hosting a meeting with Oireachtas Members about sexual awareness. I apologise for the absence of the Minister for Education and Skills but he has an urgent meeting elsewhere. He rang me last night to take three Commencement Matters on his behalf. I will get back to him regarding the issue that has been raised.

Section 9(b) of the Education Act 1998 requires schools to provide the curriculum as prescribed by the Department. Currently, that includes the requirement to provide an RSE programme for all students.The RSE programme is delivered in the context of social, personal and health education, SPHE, for students from primary level to the end of junior cycle. A separate RSE programme is in place for senior cycle.

The right of schools to uphold their ethos and characteristic spirit is protected in a number of laws and the Department recognises that RSE will be delivered within the characteristic spirit of the school. The school's RSE policy, which should be developed and reviewed in partnership with parents and, as appropriate, students, should clarify how RSE is to be provided in accordance with the ethos of the school. It remains a requirement, however, that all aspects of the RSE curriculum, including those relating to sexual orientation, contraception and sexually transmitted infections, should be covered.

At post-primary level, all schools are required to provide an RSE programme as part of SPHE for all students from first year to sixth year. Where students are not taking SPHE at senior cycle the RSE programme is still mandatory.

Through RSE, formal opportunities are provided for students to acquire knowledge and understanding of human sexuality. While gender and orientation are not explicitly designated topics in the SPHE syllabuses, those syllabuses provide opportunities for teachers to explore such issues at an age-appropriate level. The topics included are intended to develop in students respect for their own sexuality and the sexuality of others.

The Department's SPHE support service, which is now integrated with the professional development service for teachers, has worked collaboratively with GLEN, BelongTo and the HSE to develop the resource, entitled Growing up Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender. This resource is for use by RSE classes at both junior and senior cycle levels. It includes lesson plans which support students to achieve a better understanding of the concepts of gender identity and transgender. The menu of in-service courses and supports offered by the PDST to schools also includes the topics of sexual orientation and homophobic bullying.

Regarding primary curriculum provision, the SPHE course is designed to foster in the child a sense of care and respect for himself, herself and others, an understanding of his or her sexuality, and an appreciation of the dignity of every human being.

As children progress through the SPHE programme, they encounter a wide range of issues. These include substance misuse, relationships, sexuality, child abuse prevention, prejudice and discrimination. The SPHE curriculum is structured in such a way that these issues are not explored in isolation; rather the emphasis is on building a foundation of skills, values, attitudes and understanding relevant to all these issues, with specific information provided where necessary.

I again thank the Senator for raising the issue and I will convey his concerns to the Minister, Deputy Bruton.

Photo of Fintan WarfieldFintan Warfield (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State for agreeing to convey the sentiment. The issues raised here need to be met by Department-led initiatives. I take the opportunity to welcome the Minister, Deputy Harris's, document that specifically references potential reforms to the RSE curriculum as part of the ancillary recommendations to the report of the joint committee. I ask that the Minister would update the House on plans to deliver this.

Will the Minister for Education and Skills investigate the effects of the characteristic spirit clause on SPHE and RSE? Will the Minister assert through a circular or otherwise that RSE must contain aspects that cater for LGBTI students, students with disabilities, modules on consent and all contraceptive options in a more certain way than was done in a Department of Education and Skills circular 0037/2010 to give teachers adequate security?

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I will convey all the concerns the Senator raised, specifically the areas he covered in the latter part of his contribution.