Earlier today Dáil na nÓg launched research on the experiences of senior cycle students of the Relationships and Sexuality Education curriculum. It’s a great snapshot of the views of young people on the curriculum and their access to it. It was great to see senior cycle students who are members of Dáil na nÓG on the Six one news today talking about the absence of any RSE in their curriculum or the delivery of it through outside groups coming in once a year or it being delivered in Religion classes.

Barry Andrews, Minister for Children attended the launch and it’s his quoted response that has stunned me.  This is the comment from the Irish Times report.

He pointed out that “a minimum requirement in terms of RSE teaching� should be reflected in curriculum.

Mr Andrews noted there was one comment contained in the report in which a respondent was critical of the involvement of religious groups in sex education and claimed “they ridiculed homosexuality�.

Mr Andrews said this was “not tolerable in any school no matter what the religious ethos�. However, he insisted religion “is entitled to be taught� and if a parent chooses to send their child to a school with such an ethos, then that has to be respected.

“The balance is a very difficult one to achieve,� he added.

What choice do parents have though on education at senior cycle?  There is very little choice throughout the country and shouldn’t the department and other departments be ensuring that something is done to ensure the issues can be covered outside of school.  More importantly there is very little regulation of the curricula that is set. Minister Andrews said that this matter could be addressed by Whole School Evaluations but they are not annual events and they also are bound by doffing the cap to religious ethos issues.

These are the guidelines which were issued in 1997 by the Department of Education.  The research today shows they are not working, not monitored and the health risks to young people have been cited as a concern by the Department of Health.