Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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470. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress on the interim guidance toolkit which supports effective teaching and learning of the social, personal and health education curriculum and the relationships and sexuality education; the location of the guidance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52076/21]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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471. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the updated junior cycle of the social, personal and health education curriculum specification commenced in September 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52077/21]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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472. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the exact timeline on public consultation for the draft of the updated junior cycle of the social, personal and health education curriculum specification; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52078/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 470 to 472, inclusive, together.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has established development groups, for primary and post-primary, to support the development of guidance material for schools and updating of the Social, Political and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum. Both SPHE/Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) development groups have been meeting on a monthly basis since October 2020. Their immediate focus was creating materials for publication online as part of Interim Guidance Toolkits. The toolkits' purpose is to support effective teaching and learning of SPHE/RSE linked to the current curriculum.

Extensive supports have now been published on these toolkits which can be accessed on www.curriculumonline.ie(under SPHE). The supports include a portal repository of teaching and learning resources linked to the Primary SPHE Curriculum, the SPHE Junior Cycle Short Course and Senior Cycle SPHE Framework. There is also advice on how to create a safe SPHE classroom where young people can openly discuss matters that are important in their lives as well as guidance on effective teaching methodologies for SPHE.

Links to be found as follows:

- Primary Toolkit - www.curriculumonline.ie/Primary/Curriculum-Areas/Social,-Personal-and-Health-Education/SPHE-RSE-Toolkit/

- Junior Cycle Toolkit - www.curriculumonline.ie/Junior-cycle/Short-Courses/SPHE/SPHE-RSE-toolkit/

- Senior Cycle Toolkit - www.curriculumonline.ie/Senior-cycle/SPHE-(1)/SPHE-Toolkit/

In tandem, preparation for the broader redeveloping and updating of the SPHE curriculum has begun, with an initial focus on Junior Cycle. The review of the current Junior Cycle SPHE short course and proposed brief for the redevelopment of Junior Cycle SPHE is available online for public feedback here: ncca.ie/en/updates-and-events/consultations/junior-cycle-sphe-consultation/

This current consultation concludes November 5th. Feedback from this will inform the work of the development group and a draft updated specification will be available for public consultation in March/April 2022. Following this consultation, the Junior Cycle SPHE specification will be finalised and presented to Council for approval before the summer.