Bill would end religious ethos opt out for sex ed

A bill to prevent schools from using their religious ethos to avoid providing objective and factual sex education is to be debated in the Dáil.

Launching the Objective Sexual Education Bill, Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger said the curriculum should cover contraception, sexuality, gender, LGBT+ issues and consent.

Her bill aims to remove religious ethos from the relationships and sexuality education curriculum and, while Ms Coppinger welcomed the major review of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools, announced by Education Minister Richard Bruton this week, she said changing the curriculum will have no impact if schools can opt out of it on the basis of ethos.