Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 423: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has met representatives of groups concerned with sexual violence in her capacity as Minister for Education and Science; the way in which she intends to reform this most important area of education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7971/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I have not met representatives of groups concerned with sexual violence in my capacity as Minister for Education and Science.

As regards dealing with the issue within education, a national curriculum in social personal and health education, SPHE, incorporating relationships and sexuality education has been developed at junior cycle level, and this has been made mandatory for all schools with effect from September 2003. In addition, all schools are required to have an agreed school policy and a suitable relationships and sexuality education programme in place for senior cycle pupils. Comprehensive guidelines for junior cycle and senior cycle have also been published and provided to schools by the NCCA to support the RSE aspects of the curriculum. An integrated SPHE programme at senior cycle incorporating RSE is being developed.

The overall aims of the SPHE curricula are to foster the personal development, health and well-being of students and help them to create supportive relationships and become responsible citizens; to develop a framework of values, attitudes, understanding and skills that will inform their actions and decision making; and to establish and maintain healthy patterns of behaviour.

The SPHE modules at junior cycle in post-primary schools deal specifically with belonging and integrating, handling conflict constructively, dealing with peer pressure, influences on decision-making, relationships and sexuality in terms of values, reproductive system, tackling myths about sex and pregnancy, personal safety, substance use and the impact of teenage pregnancy.

The RSE programme at senior cycle deals further with these issues and includes pregnancy, contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and accepting sexual orientation.

A national SPHE support service was established in September 2000, and provides a full-time support service in collaboration with the health boards to assist schools to deliver the programme. A national support officer for RSE is also provided in St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra, to provide support and advice to schools in regard to RSE at senior cycle.

SPHE programmes are designed to enable children and young people to develop a framework of values, attitudes, understanding and life skills that will inform their decisions and actions both during their time in school and in their future lives.

The curriculum guidelines in RSE at senior cycle will be reviewed as part of emerging developments in relation to the review of senior cycle and the development of an integrated SPHE programme incorporating RSE.

My Department is also undertaking research, in the context of the national strategy on crisis pregnancy, to examine how best the implementation of SPHE and RSE in schools can be further strengthened.