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I have serious concerns about some of the content included in the Junior Certificate social, personal and health education (SPHE) programme which has come to light in recent days and weeks. While I firmly believe that the SPHE curriculum is an important piece of a child’s education and is carefully taught by teachers, some of the material I consider quite confronting and I call for an immediate review of the content to ensure all teaching material is age appropriate.
I’ve spoken to teachers and a secondary school principal on this and while most schools and teachers appear to adopt a common sense approach to what is taught, there is a legal obligation on them as teachers to implement the curriculum. There are also concerns about the lack of specialism in delivery of this kind of content and on the lack of availability of adequate training.
For some reason this has not been covered widely in national news and is still largely unknown amongst parents today. Of those who are aware, many parents and teachers have raised very valid concerns about some of the material and these concerns need to be heard, understood and addressed in the best interests of kids. Parents need to be at the forefront of what content their children are consuming.
The Minister for Education, Norma Foley, told Gript.ie last week (September 25th) that she stands over the curriculum. I cannot see the majority of parents being comfortable with this. On the whole, I think we need to create an environment where adolescents feel safe to ask questions and I believe that for teachers being forewarned is forearmed and they are in a better position to teach if they have a discrete awareness of answers to awkward questions that may be asked. Having said that, I also believe that there is a limit to the kind of content that children should be exposed to at different ages (in all forms – video, spoken word, written word etc.).
This type of confronting, unsettling content extends to public libraries, where books aimed at 12-15 year old’s include material that is not age appropriate and that would be at odds with the values of many parents and families. One such book “Trans Teen Survival Guide” introduces kids to puberty blockers and Page 90 of the book outlines how to self inject with testosterone – a step towards changing gender. The fact that this content is available through public libraries, without parental awareness, is very concerning. The idea that kids would be given instructions on how to begin “transitioning” gender without their parents awareness is very sinister.
This image is snapshot of Page 90 of the Trans teen survival guide. This is not part of the SPHE curriculum as far as I am aware but can be accessed by children in public libraries. I'm sharing it here to raise awareness rather than alarm because, no more than harmful content that can be accessed through a mobile phone, parents need to be aware of what kind of material exists in the public library.
Parents need full trust in the education system and need to be assured that what their kids are learning at school is consistent with their own set of values. For example – if a 12 year-old’s mother and father are teaching them at home that there are two genders but the SPHE curriculum tells them there are many more, this is a disjointed message for the child and it will cause confusion. This is just one example. I would argue strongly that one ideology or belief system should not be taking precedence without the approval of parents.
A separate matter raised in the Dáil by Carol Nolan, centres on the portrayal of a traditional Irish family as backward country bumpkins. This was also covered by Gript.ie and later broke through to the mainstream media outlets. There appears to be an intent to erode Irish cultural norms and I think it’s important for us to understand where this is coming from and who is authorising it.
We are all different and all hold different beliefs and values. I encourage every parent to review this material with an open mind with respect to their own set of values. Aspects of the official book content on the Junior Cert. curriculum (and separate library material) are covered in detail in this webinar hosted by Jana Lunden of the Natural Women’s Council. I have no affiliation to this organisation and advise all parents to review and consume this material with an objective eye and come to their own conclusion on its suitability for their children. The video is quite long but even a quick skip through some of the material will give you an idea of the kind of material children have access to.
I expect a range of views on the material shown and recognise that some people will be more accepting than others. I encourage all parents to have their views heard to ensure that the content provided on the SPHE curriculum is balanced and delivered in line with the values and beliefs of the majority of society.
Personally, I consider much of this kind of material inappropriate for books aimed at 12-year-olds and I would imagine many parents of teens and pre-teens will feel the same. I struggle to see how this kind of content fulfills the aims of the curriculum.
“This course aims to build students’ self-awareness and positive self-worth; to develop the knowledge, understanding, skills, dispositions and values that will support them to lead fulfilling and healthy lives; empower them to create, nurture and maintain respectful and loving relationships with self and others; and enhance their capacity to contribute positively to society.“
I have written to Education Minister Norma Foley calling for a full audit of the approval process for new curriculum material. Who created this content and who are they affiliated to? Who approved this content and who are they affiliated to? Who in the public service is the person responsible for imposing this ideology on our kids? Does personal bias influence the decision making process around approving new material?
If anyone would like to contact me to discuss this or anything else on this website, I can be reached at paul@paulmadden.ie
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