A report by the body on the delivery of Relationship and Sexuality education (RSE) in schools noted that some schools were promoting abstinence before marriage as the most desirable and achievable option, which is in according with the teachings of many world religions. The report claimed that some schools, “actively contributed to the shame and stigma surrounding unplanned pregnancy and abortion, by making statements such as ‘abortion is not a means of contraception and those who knowingly engage in casual sex must bear the consequences of their actions’,” the NIHRC report said.

The accuracy and fairness of the Report has been contested by the Catholic Bishops of the region who said the authors did not engage with teachers in the classroom.

They also called on young people “to challenge the view that they are passive, uninformed and unable to engage confidently and maturely in open debate about all the issues raised in this important part of the school curriculum.”