Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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370. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will respond to concerns raised (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11049/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As Minister, I am committed to inclusive education for all. My Department is fully committed to creating safe and supportive environments in schools, that are welcoming and inclusive for every student. My Department’s Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice (2019) promotes the provision of a whole-school approach to supporting wellbeing, an approach that has been found internationally to produce a wide range of educational and social benefits for individual children and young people, including increased inclusion, greater social cohesion, increased social capital and improvements to mental health. To support schools in this work the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) provides training to schools to ensure that the promotion of wellbeing is at the core of the ethos of every school.

I take it that the details supplied refer to the introduction of the new Junior Cycle specification for Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) including Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE). The Programme for Government states that ‘this Government will develop inclusive and age appropriate curricula for RSE (Relationships and Sexuality Education) and SPHE (Social, Personal and Health Education) across primary and post-primary schools, including an inclusive programme on LGBTI+ relationships’.

The work of updating the curricula in SPHE and RSE follows on from a 2019 National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) review of RSE across primary and post-primary. The review involved students, parents, teachers, school leaders, researchers and organisations, with a view to gaining a full appreciation of the nature of young peoples’ needs and experience of RSE and this included responses from nearly 8,000 parents. That review said there was unanimous agreement among students about the importance of RSE. Students said that they wanted a safe and inclusive environment where they can discuss, ask questions and talk about all aspects of relationships and sexuality.

SPHE and RSE teaching and learning is an important and sensitive area and as a result, parents would be expected to have strong views on this. This is reflected in the NCCA consultation on the Junior Cycle specification in 2022, where more than 4,000 parents responded to the online survey.

Consultation is a core feature of the NCCA’s work in developing curricula. The NCCA consultation on the draft Junior Cycle specification took place from July to October 2022, three months rather than the normal six week consultation. Many parents, students and teachers as well as organisations with an interest in the area took the time to participate in the consultation process and more than 4,000 parents responded to the online survey element.

That consultation has informed the NCCA’s finalising of the Junior Cycle specification, which is currently being considered in my Department ahead of planned implementation in schools in September. The parent’s voice is also reflected throughout the curriculum development process for all subjects.

Work on Senior Cycle specifications has begun and it is expected to be available for public consultation in Q3 2023. A background paper was already published for consultation in October last year.

Work on Primary specifications will begin once the new Primary Curriculum Framework which has been in development by the NCCA is finalised for approval. This Framework will be the foundation for all curriculum specifications including those for SPHE and RSE. Development of a draft primary specification is expected to be completed in early 2025, with public consultation on this specification planned for 2024.

To support teachers in meeting these objectives while new curricula are being developed, the NCCA has created “toolkits”. For example, there are resources to help teachers in teaching about rights and responsibilities in relationships, how to recognise healthy, unhealthy and abusive relationship, and how to interact safely and respectfully (both online and face-to-face) and consent.

The teacher’s professional judgement plays a key role in identifying when an issue is age and stage appropriate for the particular class. The role of the SPHE/RSE teacher is complex, with a range of sensitive topics addressed in the classroom. Teachers need ongoing, appropriate teacher professional development to support them in this important work.

To introduce new and existing teachers of Junior Cycle SPHE to the updated NCCA specification, beginning on 6 March a series of two-day seminars is being provided jointly by the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) and Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT) Post-Primary SPHE teams. This seminar is being offered during the school day with full substitute cover sanctioned by my Department.

Over the course of these two days of Continuing Professional Development (CPD), teachers will explore and engage with the content of the updated draft Junior Cycle SPHE specification. Teachers will be supported in developing their understanding of the diverse and facilitative role of the SPHE teacher and advance a shared understanding of how to create a safe and inclusive SPHE classroom. This CPD will place an emphasis on pedagogical approaches which support and enhance teachers' confidence in using appropriate student learning experiences to establish an environment that meets the needs of all learners in Junior Cycle SPHE. Supports and resources which are available for teachers when dealing with sensitive or challenging issues will also be explored and signposted.

In addition, I recently announced the provision of a new flagship postgraduate programme to upskill registered post-primary teachers teaching Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) and Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE). This programme, funded by my Department and provided by Dublin City University (DCU) Institute of Education, will provide a pathway for progression for post-primary teachers interested in developing their skills in teaching SPHE/RSE and in so doing build capacity and leadership within the teaching profession in relation to teaching in this important area. Schools and teachers will be supported to access the upskilling programme with the programme fees covered by Department funding and facilitation of substitute cover to allow participating students to undertake the programme. The first cohort of students commenced in February and depending on demand, further intakes to the programme in the future will be offered.