THE National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has recently published its draft programme for the Junior Certificate Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum, which includes Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE). We have major concerns about what it proposes regarding pornography, consent and gender identity. Specifically, we ask if the programme means schools will...
WHAT will Catholic and other faith-based schools be allowed to teach in the future? This is the crucial question theologian and chairman of The Iona Institute, Dr John Murray, asks in our new paper, ‘Will Modern Ireland Tolerate Catholic Schools?’ As Ireland continues to change and becomes more multi-cultural, will the pressure increase on faith-based schools...
“Pornography to be studied in class”, said the front page of the Irish Independent last week, which is alarming at first glance, but much depends on how this is done because some HSE-backed researchers believe porn can be both ‘ethical’ and ‘positive’. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) is currently redesigning the Relationships...
David Quinn was on the Pat Kenny Show last week debating the future of Church-run schools. He said one reason that more Catholic schools have not been divested is because in practice there is not much demand from parents to do so. You can listen to the item here.
The right of parents to choose how to educate their children has been upheld by the Supreme Court in a major ruling published on Monday. It unanimously dismissed the appeal of the Minister of Education against two home-schooled students who were excluded from the Leaving Cert calculated grades scheme. Their exclusion interfered with the constitutional...
On Wednesday, Ireland’s human rights record will once again be under the scrutiny of a United Nations committee. As discussed in a previous blog, more pressure will be heaped on us to make our abortion law even more permissive. But our education system will come under scrutiny, with objections being raised to our mainly denominational...
Children who are practising Catholics are being targeted for bullying in school, according to the director of Dublin City University’s Anti-Bullying Centre. They are now a minority to be protected. Professor James O’Higgins Norman was speaking last week at the Oireachtas Committee on Education, about the topic of school bullying and the impact on mental...
One of the great taboos in modern Irish debate is pointing out that family structure matters, and makes a difference to the lives of children. Such a declaration is considered to be offensive and judgemental. But suppose it is true, and suppose certain family structures do, on average, benefit children more? Does it really serve...
David Quinn of The Iona Institute was on The Hard Shoulder this week discussing new sex education material published by the bishops for use in Catholic primary schools. His main point? Sex education should be in accord with the wishes of parents. If they want it taught through in school through a Catholic lens, it...
A constant theme of The Iona Institute, indeed one of the chief reasons it was founded, is to point out that family structure matters, and specifically that when mothers and fathers raise their children together, the children are likely to do better in life. A major new report has just been published in the UK...
