Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 155: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools offering relationships and sexuality education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32721/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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All recognised primary and post-primary schools are required to offer relationships and sexuality education, RSE. It is an integral part of the social, personal and health education, SPHE, curriculum at primary level and at junior cycle post-primary level. 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 distributed to schools by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, to support the RSE aspects of the curriculum. An integrated SPHE programme at senior cycle incorporating RSE is also 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 RSE programme at senior cycle deals further with these issues and, in addition, addresses issues such as 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. 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.