First years to be taught about influence of porn, consent, and gender identity

Other strands include ‘Understanding myself and Others’, ‘Healthy Choices’ and ‘Emotional Well-being’. These three strands of the curriculum focus on topics like gender stereotyping, self-image and self-esteem, how unhealthy products such as nicotine, vapes and alcohol are marketed and advertised, as well as coping with the day-to-day stresses of life.

The new RSE course focuses on exploring “the cognitive, physical, emotional and social aspects of relationships and sexuality through a positive, inclusive, rights and responsibilities-based approach.” According to the NCCA, it will focus on “family relationships, friendships, romantic and potential sexual relationships in the future.” 

Students will be expected to learn about the “values, behaviours and skills that help to make, sustain and end relationships respectfully". Learning goals also include students being able to examine the benefits and difficulties experienced by young people in a range of relationships, as well as being able to identify signs of healthy, unhealthy and abusive relationships.

Students will be expected to “appreciate the importance of setting healthy boundaries in relationships and consider how to show respect for the boundaries of others”, as well as to consider the “importance of taking care of their reproductive health”.

Another learning outcome sees students expected to “appreciate the breadth of what constitutes human sexuality, and how sexual orientation and gender identity are experienced and expressed in diverse ways” by the end of the course.

Students will also be expected to “explore the pressures to become sexually intimate and discuss ways to show respect for people’s choices”, as well as “appreciate the importance of seeking, giving and receiving consent in sexual relationships, from the perspective of building caring relationships and from a legal perspective”. 

Other learning outcomes include students being able to “explain the importance of safer sexual activity with reference to methods of contraception and protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs)”, as well as to “discuss the influence of popular culture and the online world, in particular, the influence of pornography, on young people’s understanding, expectations and social norms in relation to sexual expression”.

Students will also be expected to “demonstrate how to access and appraise appropriate and trustworthy advice, support and services related to relationships and sexual health”.

The resources published by the NCCA also include a glossary of key terms for SPHE. These include phrases such as ‘Active Bystander’, ‘Upstander’, and ‘Health Literacy’.

Definitions of gender and sex

It defines gender as referring to “the social and cultural factors influencing what it means to be male and female, ie the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.” 

It adds: “It is important to distinguish gender from ‘sex’ which refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that are defined as being male and female.” 

“When children are born, their sex is largely decided or ‘assigned’ on the basis of their external genitalia, which generally — but not always — reflects their internal hormonal and chromosomal make-up.” 

Reacting to the publication of the curriculum, the Catholic Education Partnership (CEP) said Catholic schools will seek to "propose the Catholic perspective on the full range of the curriculum in dialogue and encounter with other points of view".

The group, an association established by the Irish Bishops’ Conference, said it welcomed the publication of the new SPHE curriculum specification.

Catholic schools will "engage positively with the SPHE curriculum, recognising that SPHE is an important part of a holistic education, contributing to the wellbeing of our young people", said CEP chief executive Alan Hynes.

The CEP will shortly be publishing a draft RSE resource for use in Junior Cycle, he added.

"This resource complements and is in line with the NCCA’s specification and will assist Catholic schools in proposing the Catholic view on RSE in a confident and positive manner, while inviting students to engage critically with Catholic teaching and other world-views."

The CEP also called on the Education Minister to work with education partners to address teacher confidence and competence in the subject.

This was previously cited by the NCCA before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Gender Equality as the main barrier to the successful delivery of SPHE in schools.

Meanwhile, work on re-hauling the RSE curriculum for Senior Cycle students and primary schools is continuing. Public consultation on revamped sex education for Leaving Cert students should begin by the end of September, with changes expected to be rolled out in schools by September 2024.

The primary school changes are expected to go to public consultation and be rolled out at a later stage.

Earlier this year, the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association (CPSMA) voiced its opposition to children being taught about transgender identity in a letter to Education Minister Norma Foley. The Irish Muslim Council also backed this call, adding that it is “not appropriate” to teach children about gender identity in primary schools.

The comments provoked a strong public reaction, as well as condemnation from many political leaders, including both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste.

At the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) annual congress in April, delegates added their condemnation as part of a motion passed relating to LGBT+ and inclusivity in primary schools.

The new Junior Cert course includes resources from the HSE, as well as NGOs such as BeLong To, UNICEF Ireland and the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre. All resources as well as the new specification can be accessed on curriculumonline.ie.