Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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35. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to the recognition of the State of Palestine by Ireland on 28 May 2024, her plans to update all educational materials, including the Irish primary atlas, to reflect this recognition; when all educational materials will be updated in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38047/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Apart from a small number of prescribed texts at post-primary level, determined by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), the decisions on which textbooks, programmes and resources, if any, to use in primary and post-primary schools are taken at school level. Any concerns regarding material published in textbooks should be raised with the publisher themselves.

One of the key competencies in the Primary Curriculum Framework , published in March 2023, is being an active citizen. This competency fosters the knowledge, skills, concepts, attitudes, values, and dispositions in children that motivate and empower them as citizens to take positive actions to live justly, sustainably, and with regard for the rights of others. It helps children to question, critique, and understand what is happening in the world within a framework of human rights, equity, social justice, and sustainable development. It also raises awareness of global challenges such as climate change, conflict, and growing inequalities. It places democratic practices at the centre of the learning process. This competency develops children’s capacity and motivation for active and meaningful participation in society at local, national, and global levels, and fosters their ability to contribute positively and compassionately to creating a more sustainable and just world.