Parents are being urged to give their opinion [1] of the Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) programme via an official consultation. The consultation is being hosted online [2] by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment in preparation for a major overhaul of RSE. Kate Liffey, National Director for Catechetics of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, has called on parents to participate in the simple online survey. Speaking to Spirit Radio on Tuesday, she rejected the notion of a secular, value-neutral approach to RSE and said parents should make clear the important values they want to see incorporated into the programme.
She said this involved teaching the best values that would be protective of children, with a clear sense of right and wrong. She said such views are often dismissed as ‘conservative’ but she urged parents of that viewpoint not to be cowed into silence.
The consultation is available online until Jan 31st [2].