R.S.E – Relationships and Sexuality Education
R.S.E. is part of the overall S.P.H.E programme.
- Many aspects are already part of the curriculum in our school.
- Health Education: the promotion of healthy eating habits, personal hygiene, regular exercise and adequate sleep.
- The Stay safe Programme is taught from Senior Infants through to Sixth Class.
- We place a strong emphasis on Physical Education, with most of the children involved in swimming, tennis, football, hockey and gymnastics as well as regular P.E. Classes.
- Religious Education is based on the ethos of our school, promoting a strong moral and civic awareness.
The spiral nature of the programme allows the class grouping to work with materials appropriate to their maturity, with reviews taking place in subsequent years at a more appropriate level to their new stage of development.
For example:
- The child in Junior Infants will thus move from as discussion of the particular ( e.g. Me and My Family) to the more general (e.g. My Responsibilities to Others) at senior level.
- Life cycle of plants and simple animals will be dealt with at Junior Level, while the human life cycle will be covered at Senior Level.
Role of the child.
The child will be encouraged to have a mature attitude to topics discussed in class, and to treat information taught with maturity. Playground gossip will be discouraged. Questions from children in class will be answered within the agreed programme for that age group and a child may be advised to discuss at home personal concerns which are outside the programme. The right to the child’s privacy will be respected at all times by the teacher and the other pupils in the class. For children with special needs, involvement in the class will be following discussion with parents, special needs teachers and class teacher/principal.
Role of Parents.
The R.S.E programme recognises that the primary responsibility for relationships and sexuality education lies with the child’s parents/guardians and will be implemented in consultation with the full school community, including the parents, teachers and the patron. The programme will be subject to ongoing review and development and parents will be advised of the content of the programme to be taught when it is of a sensitive nature. Parents will have the right, if they have conscientious or moral objections, to with draw their children from the more sensitive aspects of the programme on the basis of prior agreement with the teacher and Principal. Course material is available for inspection by parents on request.
Role of Teachers.
Teachers will not be required to answer personal questions about him/herself but will only be required to answer questions which pertain to the lesson. Teachers having participated in the initial programme, have the right to opt out from the teaching of this programme. The principal, in consultation with the Board of Management, will make alternative arrangements for such a teacher’s class (such arrangements may include teacher exchange or employment of suitable personnel from the wider community).