Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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268. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the review of the social, personal and health education courses at senior cycle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12767/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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A review of senior cycle programmes and vocational pathways in senior cycle has been commenced by the NCCA with a view to recommending areas for development. As a first step, to inform this review, the NCCA commissioned research to scope international developments in upper secondary education. This research will feed into a public consultation process in spring 2018, which commenced with a conference on senior cycle review on Tuesday 20 February. The Department will be active participants in this important review process. The Social, Personal and Health Education Framework will be considered within the broad context of provision at senior cycle.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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269. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the timeframe for the review of junior cycle social, personal and health education courses to take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12768/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Social, Personal and Health Education, SPHE, curriculum is mandatory at primary level and up to junior cycle at post-primary level.  A Framework for SPHE at Senior Cycle is also available to schools. The SPHE curriculum aims to provide a range of diverse and inclusive skills such as communicating, making decisions, knowing where to find reliable data, belonging and integrating, handling conflict constructively, dealing with bullying, expressing feelings and emotions, substance abuse, resisting peer pressure, personal safety, values and mutual respect.

As part of the new Framework for Junior Cycle (2015) a new short course in SPHE was developed by the NCCA and now available to schools.  This short course is available in addition to the existing SPHE curriculum.

The Framework for Junior Cycle additionally provides for a new area of learning at junior cycle called Wellbeing. Wellbeing crosses the three years of junior cycle and build on substantial work already taking place in schools in support of students’ wellbeing. This area of learning includes learning opportunities to enhance the physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing of students.  SPHE along with PE and CSPE forms a core part of the new Wellbeing Programme.  The junior cycle Wellbeing programme begins with 300 hours of timetabled engagement and will build up to 400 hours by 2020 as the new junior cycle is implemented fully in schools.