The proposed Education (health, relationships and sex education) Bill 2021 is currently before Dáil Éireann, at the third stage.
Purpose of the Bill
This Bill is to modernise the teaching of relationship and sex education for students in accordance with best practice in health and science and to standardise relationship and sex education across all schools which receive state funding.
Provisions of the Bill
Section 1 is a standard form provision and provides for a definition of “Principal Act” in the Bill.
Section 2 amends section 9 of the Education Act 1998 to provide that it shall be a function of a recognised school to provide evidence informed health education, including relationships and sex education, to students.
Section 3 amends section 13 of the Education Act 1998 to provide that it shall be a function of an Inspector (as defined by section 2(1) of that Act) to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching, development and promotion of health education, including relationships and sex education.
Section 4 amends section 30 of the Education Act 1998 to provide that the Minister shall require that health education, including relationships and sex education, is provided by schools solely in accordance with the curriculum prescribed by the Minister under that section.
Section 5 amends section 41 of the Education Act 1998 by expanding the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment’s periodic review of curriculums to include a review of the curriculum of health education, including relationships and sex education, at least once every 5 years.
Section 6 is a standard form provision and provides for the short title of the proposed Act, a collective citation and a commencement provision.
The Bill, as initiated, can be read by clicking here.
Introducing the Bill in 2021, Deputy Gary Gannon said:
"Although there is great work being done in some schools, particularly through the active consent schools programme being led by the National University of Ireland, Galway, modern Ireland needs to stop using religion as a method to deliver relationship and sex education. We have a shameful history in respect of sex education or the lack thereof. It has been a tool of control and power for the Catholic Church. With almost 90% of our primary schools under Catholic patronage, the State is still permitting the Catholic Church to influence how sex education is delivered.
I will make specific reference to the controversial Flourish resource programme designed by the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference and announced in May 2020. Available online, the programme includes the statements that "the Church’s teaching in relation to marriage between a man and a woman cannot be omitted" and that "Puberty is a gift from God." Each section of this programme ends with a prayer of reflection for students to undertake. Many schools are not delivering this programme and are instead delivering fact-based sex education but this matter is too important to be left up to chance or to be delivered in such an ad hoc manner. All of our young people should have access to fact-based sex education, decoupled from religious influence."
"Our young people have a right to access education that is unbiased and in accordance with best practice in health and science. International human rights standards state that the right to freedom of religion or belief does not entitle parents to withdraw their children from sex education where information is objective and impartial. In Ireland, the opposite is happening. Parents are withdrawing their children from receiving sex education in the first instance precisely because that education is not objective and impartial. This Bill would stop that."