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    Home | National Executive (2022-2024) – Advocating for Inclusive Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in Ireland

    National Executive (2022-2024) - Advocating for Inclusive Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in Ireland

    The National Executive 2022-2024 has been dedicated to transforming the landscape of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in Ireland, ensuring that every child and young person has access to high-quality, inclusive education. Their work has been focused on addressing the significant barriers and inconsistencies in RSE provision across the country.

    Despite the mandatory status of RSE in Irish schools, many children and young people report that they have not received any education in this vital area.

    This lack of implementation is at odds with international laws prioritising children’s rights to access necessary education and health services. The inconsistent delivery of RSE, shaped by school ethos and local opinions rather than the needs of young people, as well as, inadequate teacher education and insufficient provision of RSE resources remain as critical barriers.

    To address these challenges, the National Executive, through their proposal for the future of RSE in Ireland ‘Take Action’, called for a comprehensive review of current frameworks, advocating for a rights-based approach to RSE. This approach recognises the evolving capacity of children and young people to make informed decisions about matters affecting their lives. They engaged with experts, consulted with local Comhairle members, and gathered data through surveys to understand young people’s experiences and perspectives on RSE in order to propose a series of action areas for the Department of Education implement.

    You can download the full ‘Take Action’ Proposal here.

    Read Take Action Proposal

    The Department of Education have responded very positively to the ‘Take Action’ proposal and have committed to taking key actions, to ensure that RSE in Ireland is on track to meet the needs of all learners, fostering an inclusive and equitable society.

    A synopsis of the Proposed Action Areas, as detailed in ‘Take Action’, and the Department of Education’s summarised response is as follows:

    1. Comhairle Proposed Action Area 1, on Teacher Education response from the Department: Planning is now underway for Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) for the school year 2024/2025 to support the continued implementation of the Junior Cycle SPHE Specification (2023) and the forthcoming Senior Cycle SPHE Specification once finalised. Planned to commence October 2024.
    1. Comhairle Proposed Action Area 2, on Provision of RSE Resources response from the Department: As part of planning for the introduction of an updated SPHE specification at Senior Cycle, it is intended the resources will be developed to support the teaching and learning of SPHE at Senior Cycle. Resource development process ongoing from 2024
    1. Comhairle Proposed Action Area 3, on Ongoing Review of RSE response from the Department: NCCA carries out Early Enactment Reviews on all new specifications once one full cohort has completed the course. This timeline ensures that the full experience of students is captured across the cycle, allowing for a full and comprehensive picture of the experiences of students, teachers and schools. An Early Enactment Review will be planned in relation to RSE/SPHE. Expected to commence second half 2026
    1. Comhairle Proposed Action Area 4, on Representation of Young People in RSE Decision Making Process response from the Department: The Department intends to request the NCCA to carry out a more detailed study going beyond the normal Early Enactment Review. This would aim to explore how SPHE teaching and learning is changing over time as a result of recent developments and investments so as to inform further work. Commencing 2026
    1. Comhairle Proposed Action Area 5, on Reviewing the Constitutional and Legislative Rights of Young People in Relation to RSE response from the department: In response to the Comhairle’s report, the Department envisages requesting the NCCA to undertake more detailed research on the enactment of the new curriculum which will help to provide insights on how SPHE teaching and learning is changing over time.

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