The Catholic Education Partnership (CEP) has welcomed proposed changes to the Junior Cycle SPHE curriculum, which will see more of a focus on “human relationships” and less on “mere biology”.

The changes drew controversy after The Irish Independent reported that pornography would be taught in classrooms, but CEP CEO Alan Hynes said the reports were “misleading”.

“We’re quite happy that it can be harmonised with the ethos of any Catholic school”, he said.

It’s important that young people develop “a critical sense” in dealing with “the flood of pornography”, Mr Hynes warned, quoting from Pope Francis’ encyclical Amoris Laetitia.

He added that he was aware there are pro-pornography use campaigners out there, “but that’s not what’s being proposed here at all”.

The CEP, an umbrella group for Catholic primary, secondary and tertiary institutes, also welcomes the new focus on the relationship element of RSE, Mr Hynes said.

“It’s based on feedback from students themselves. I think a lot of the feedback came to a request to move away from a mere biological treatment and to more human relationship focus,” Mr Hynes said.

Plans are currently underway for the Church to develop its own RSE curriculum for second level education, to compliment the Flourish programme used in Catholic primary schools.