Revamp of decades-old teaching will reflect current discourse

WHILE the main drive behind a review of sex education in Irish schools is that so much of it is decades old, the discussions it should help begin will undoubtedly return to more recent public and political debate, writes Education Correspondent, Niall Murray.

Some of the topics Education Minister Richard Bruton wants emphasised, like consent and positive sexual relationships, were at the heart of the reaction to the recent Belfast rape trial.

He has also taken on board a recommendation of last December’s report of the joint Oireachtas committee on the Eighth Amendment. As well as the substantive issue around references to abortion in the Constitution, one of its other recommendations was for a thorough review of sexual health and relationship education, in line with the proposal of the Citizens’ Assembly for improvements in such teaching.

Both the committee and the assembly singled out the areas of contraception and consent as issues to be covered in improved education in schools, colleges, youth clubs and other organisations involved in education of and interactions with young people.

“Sufficient time must be provided in the school’s curriculum for such education and it should be taught by suitably qualified personnel. The information should be provided in an impartial and factual manner that is independent of school ethos,” the Oireachtas committee said.

An opposition bill to be debated in the Dáil on April 18 will seek to amend education law that Solidarity TD Paul Murphy says currently allows a school’s religious ethos to influence the type of sex education that is taught.

He introduced the Objective Sex Education Bill in the Dáil last week, saying young people are not receiving proper sex education because it is taught through the prism of a religious ethos in many schools.

“This means that they do not get objective sex education. They do not learn about contraception, LGBTQ+ relationships, the different types of sexualities and genders, or about options in relation to crisis pregnancies,” he said.

“Young people want proper sex education, it is an issue which comes up time and time again. This bill will seek to remove the barriers which religious ethos places on sex education, and to provide for proper, objective sex education.”

The issue of consent was one which dominated debate and rallies that followed the not guilty verdicts returned in relation to the lengthy Belfast rape trial last week. Mr Murphy’s Solidarity colleague in the Dáil, Ruth Coppinger, said the bill would make sure all young people are taught about consent.

“The reaction from women and young people to the #IStandWithHer and #MeToo movements demonstrates that consent is an issue which needs to be fully explored and discussed in schools but also in wider society,” she said.