No teacher should be obliged to deliver Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) classes at second level unless they feel confident teaching “sensitive” material [1], a trade union has said.
The warning comes after Minister for Education Norma Foley confirmed that Social Personal and Health Education classes, which incorporate RSE. will be mandatory for senior-cycle students, although parents can still opt their children out of such classes.
Senior-Cycle RSE will cover topics such as sexual consent, the influence of pornography, and gender ideology which teaches that a person’s biological sex and the ‘gender’ they identify as are unrelated.
SPHE (social, personal and health education) or RSE (relationships and sexual education) will not be examined as a Leaving Cert subject, but the curriculum will provide scope for students to be assessed in class.
Kieran Christie of the ASTI said in no circumstances should teachers be assigned to deliver the courses unless they “feel they are comfortable and competent,” to teach them and that may require extra training and expertise to address particularly “sensitive” issues.