Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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624. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the organisations that participated in the consultation process for the reviewed RSE programme; when she expects to complete the review of the RSE curriculum; if she will support removing the ability of schools' ethos to limit the aspects of the course that is taught; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55562/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Schools are required to teach all aspects of the Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) programme. Elements of the programme cannot be omitted on the grounds of school ethos.

In April 2018, the then Minister for Education and Skills asked the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to undertake a major review of RSE in schools across all stages of education to ensure that it is fit for purpose and meets the needs of young people today in modern Ireland. The Report on the Review of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in primary and post-primary schools was published by the NCCA on 11th of December, 2019. The report is available on the NCCA website here ncca.ie/en/resources/report-on-the-review-of-relationships-and-sexuality-education-in-primary-and-post-primary-school/. There was widespread participation during the review which included:

- 7,891 parental responses; including 3,300 National Parents Council Primary and 553 National Parents Council post-primary responses (the remainder of responses were directly sent to the NCCA);

- Engagement with 512 young people, 1333 teachers, via online responses;

- Focus groups with over 600 children and young people, teachers, parents and school leaders within school settings;

- Participation from 51 organisations at a Symposium on RSE in November 2018

- Meetings with 63 organisations and individuals;

- 65 written submissions; and

- Consultation event with 77 young people from Comhairlí na nÓg.

The draft report was open to public consultation from July to October 2019, and anyone who wished to was free to contribute to this process through the NCCA’s website or directly by email. Written submissions to this consultation are available on the NCCA’s website at ncca.ie/en/junior-cycle/curriculum-developments/social-personal-and-health-education-relationships-and-sexuality-education/.

The Programme for Government commits to developing inclusive and age-appropriate RSE and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curricula across primary and post-primary levels, including an inclusive programme on LGBTI+ relationships. The NCCA has established two development groups, one for primary and one for post-primary, to oversee work on the development of a new SPHE/RSE curriculum and support the development of guidance material for schools including an Interim Guidance Toolkit to support effective teaching and learning of SPHE/RSE. In tandem, work on the broader redeveloping and updating of the SPHE curriculum is progressing, including public consultation.

In relation to Junior Cycle a draft specification was published and a consultation process was run from 18 July 2022 to 18 October 2022. The data gathered through this consultation is now being analysed and a report on the feedback received will be published on the NCCA website in due course. This report will contain the lists of groups who have contributed to the consultation or made written submissions. It is expected that the specification will be finalised by the end of this year with the aim of having it implemented in schools in September 2023.

In relation to Senior Cycle, preparation to update the SPHE/RSE specification has commenced and a background paper was published earlier this month for public consultation on the NCCA website. It is anticipated that the Senior Cycle draft specification itself will be available for public consultation by next summer, with a view to being implemented in schools in September 2024.

Following publication of the new Primary Curriculum Framework, expected in early 2023, NCCA will establish a development group for the curricular area of Wellbeing in primary schools. Again consultation.