Controversial curriculum brings large turnout to public meeting

by Evelyn Cullen

MORE than 100 parents and teachers attended a public meeting in Letterkenny to air their concerns about the current and proposed Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum for the Junior Cycle in secondary schools.

Concerns cited at the meeting included that the course contains sexually explicit material that they say is inappropriate for 12 to 15 year olds.

Aontu’s Mary T Sweeney, who will run in the upcoming general election, said she was prompted to host the event after being contacted by numerous parents with serious concerns about the content of the course.

“I’ve been aware of the proposed content of this course since 2018, when the World Health Organisation (WHO) released a document about sexuality education in the classroom, and I highlighted it at the time,” said Ms Sweeney speaking to the Donegal News.

“At that stage we thought it might never happen, however it is happening and these books are in our classrooms now,” she added.

Several pages of textbooks were produced on the night, as well as evidence of a contract which discourages students from discussing the content with their parents.

A letter from Ireland’s main second level teacher’s union Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) was also produced on the night, which was sent to teachers in August, and states: “ASTI believes that no teacher should be assigned to teach this programme unless they wish and feel confident to teach it.”

“That letter is a formal acknowledgement by ASTI that this course contains sensitive material, and that says a lot,” said Ms Sweeney.

The meeting was also attended via zoom by Mary Creedon, former teacher for 30 years and co-ordinator of the SPHE programme in schools since 2008, who is being hailed as a “whistleblower” on the matter since her video interview with the Natural Women’s Council last month.

In the video interview, Ms Creedon, who subsequently resigned over the matter, revealed the sexually explicit nature of the content she and other teachers were shown at a DCU course about how to teach the material to students aged 12 to 15 years.

The video has, to-date, received almost half a million views on Youtube.

“In many peoples’ opinions this material is pornographic and parents would be horrified to see the extent of some of the content, and in fact contravenes the Children First Act 2015 which makes provisions for the safeguarding and protection of children,” said Ms Sweeney.

On October 8 Minister Norma Foley was questioned in the Dáil by Deputy Verona Murphy on the matter, to which she said: “Teaching and learning is age and stage appropriate, based on research and informed by extensive consultation.”

She further added: “Sensitive topics such as the influence of pornography are also addressed, but it is important to be clear that in this regard key messages would be that pornography is not a good place to go to learn about sex… No inappropriate graphic or explicit material should ever be used in a classroom setting.”

Parents also expressed concerns about some of the information their kids were coming home with, and “the big concern was that there must be more consultation with parents about what’s being taught”, said Ms Sweeney.

The Donegal News was told that teachers who were present on the night advised parents to contact their principals and boards of management in regard to the matter.

“The next steps are that parents who are concerned should contact their principal and their board of management to find out what’s being taught to their children, to check their children’s textbook, particularly those on the free books scheme, and to make themselves aware,” added Ms Sweeney.

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