Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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373. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will outline the progress to date in developing an education stream in schools that addresses gender-based violence. [49499/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The education sector has a vital role to play in addressing gender-based violence, including through the updating and redevelopment of Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) and Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE). Currently, 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 (or RSE) is required at all levels, from primary through to senior cycle. As set out in the Programme for Government, this Government is committed to developing inclusive and age appropriate curricula for Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) across primary and post-primary schools.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has established two development groups, one for primary and one for post-primary, to oversee the development of updated curricula in this area, and to support the development of guidance material for schools.

An immediate focus of the work of the NCCA was on creating support materials for teachers for publication online as part of an Interim Guidance Toolkit, to support effective teaching and learning of SPHE/RSE linked to the current curriculum and to provide guidance on how SPHE/RSE may be approached in a more holistic way. The NCCA online SPHE toolkits are being expanded during 2022 to include age and stage appropriate guidance for teachers on how to address issues of consent, gender and sexual discrimination and violence, and related topics within the SPHE classroom.

In tandem with this work, preparation for the broader redeveloping and updating of the SPHE curriculum is underway. Updated curricula will be developed for Primary, Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle. A draft revised Junior Cycle specification was published for consultation on 18 July, with the consultation process running until 18 October. It is expected that the finalised Junior Cycle specification will be presented to Council for approval by the end of this year, and will be implemented in schools in September 2023.

In regard to Senior Cycle, a background paper that will inform the updating of Senior Cycle SPHE/RSE was published for public consultation on 3 October. Feedback from this consultation will inform the work of the SPHE Development Group and it is intended that a draft updated curriculum for Senior Cycle SPHE will be ready for public consultation by next summer and finalised in early 2024, for implementation in schools in September 2024. In regard to Primary Schools, following publication of the Primary Curriculum Framework, expected in early 2023, the NCCA will establish a development group for the curricular area of Wellbeing in primary schools. This group will progress the development of an SPHE specification for primary schools, to include RSE, with the aim of rolling it out in schools in September 2025.

In addition to developing updated curricula and support materials the NCCA will contribute to facilitating interagency collaboration and linkages between the formal and non-formal education sector to enhance the sharing of expertise, learning and resources related to RSE. The NCCA will also initiate networking between groups/agencies working to support schools on targeted initiatives, such as consent and LGBTQI+ issues.

Pending the introduction of these updated curricula, at primary level the Stay Safe Programme is a mandatory part of the SPHE programme while at post primary level, two programmes are in place which come under the heading of Personal Safety. One of these programmes is for Junior Cycle which addresses personal safety in relationships and explores topics such as healthy and unhealthy relationships, consent and domestic gender-based and sexual violence. The other programme, which is for Senior Cycle, addresses topics such as domestic violence, sexual harassment, dating violence and rape. Both of these programmes were designed by the Professional Development Support Service (PDST) and are intended to be taught as part of the wider SPHE/RSE curriculum. Professional development support is available to teachers, directly linked to these resources.

The work underway in my Department is reflected in a number of key actions within Zero Tolerance, the third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV), which was published in June. These actions reflect the vital role of the education sector in the development and implementation of this Strategy, through the updating of the SPHE/RSE curricula; the provision of training aimed at improving teacher confidence and competence in the areas of SPHE and RSE; and the promotion of environments free from gender-based violence within our schools, and ensuring that issues such as sexual harassment and identity bullying are considered as part of the Department’s Action Plan on Bullying and Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools. My Department’s actions within the Strategy reflect its role in realising the aim of eradicating domestic, sexual and gender-based violence from society.