Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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78. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she plans to develop a new national policy in relation to sexual harassment for the school curriculum. [4359/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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There are developments in two areas of my Department’s policies concerning sexual harassment. 

Firstly, in relation to the school curriculum, Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is a mandatory curriculum subject in all primary schools and in post-primary Junior Cycle. Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) is required at all levels, from primary through to Senior Cycle. Topics covered at post-primary include: sexual harassment; healthy and unhealthy relationships; consent; domestic gender-based and sexual violence; dating violence and rape.

The Programme for Government commits to the development of inclusive and age appropriate curricula for RSE and SPHE.

Following a review of RSE in schools across all stages of education the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) established two development groups, one for primary and one for post-primary, to oversee development work in this area.

The immediate focus of the NCCA work has been on creating support materials for teachers as part of an online Interim Guidance Toolkit. The toolkit will support effective teaching and learning of SPHE/RSE linked to the current curriculum and provide guidance on how SPHE/RSE may be approached in a comprehensive way that meets the needs of young people today.  There are resources to help teachers in teaching about rights and responsibilities in relationships, how to recognise healthy, unhealthy and abusive relationship, how to interact safely and respectfully the influence of the media on young people's understanding and expectations, sexual consent and assertive communication.

In tandem with this work, preparation for the broader redeveloping and updating of the SPHE curriculum has begun. Updated curricula will be developed for Primary, Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle.  

Consent education will be included within the learning outcomes for RSE, across all levels, based on the principle that consent is a core dimension of all healthy interpersonal relationships.

Secondly, I have announced a review of the 2013 Action Plan on Bullying action plan and procedures on bullying.  This review will take account of developments and relevant research since the action plan and procedures were published and will specifically consider areas such as cyber bullying and gender identity bullying and sexual harassment.

The review will also give detailed consideration to the recommendations contained in the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Report on School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health which was published in August 2021.

The review will involve significant consultation and collaboration across my Department, with other Government Departments and Bodies including the Ombudsman for Children, and will also involve consultation with a broad range of education stakeholders, including parents and students.