letter from Dublin
Of concern to evangelicals is the recently updated Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum which is taught in all secondary schools across the Republic of Ireland.
The new SPHE curriculum for junior cycle students (aged 12–15) was updated in September 2023. Students engage in 100 hours of SPHE teaching over three years and the first cohort of students is now in the second year of the programme. The senior cycle curriculum for students aged 16–19 was updated in September 2024 and covers 60 hours of teaching.
While updates to the previous curriculum were required in some areas of the course, evangelical parents and organisations are concerned about the content of the Relationships and Sexuality strand. One learning outcome of the new curriculum is for students to appreciate the breadth of what constitutes human sexuality, and how sexual orientation and gender identity are experienced and expressed in diverse ways*. Students receive teaching on gender identity, described in the curriculum as their internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with their sex at birth*.
Guidance given to those teaching the new curriculum advises the use of affirming, gender-inclusive language throughout all SPHE lessons. Teachers are directed to avoid using binary-based, heteronormative language and assumptions that don’t incorporate diverse expressions of gender and sexuality. They are also advised to teach the subject ensuring that LGBTQ+ identities, relationships and families are fully included and reflected. As a consequence, teaching on traditional marriage is omitted from the new curriculum.
Concerned parents and organisations voiced their concerns about the new curriculum during the consultation process and some parents have withdrawn their children from SPHE lessons. The curriculum will continue to be an ongoing concern for parents in the Republic of Ireland as redevelopment of the primary school curriculum, including SPHE, is also due this year.
Lois is originally from the UK and now lives in Dublin, Ireland with her husband Ramsey and their three children.
Christians, we need to talk about education
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