ecdrumcondra

 

Administrator: Jackie Delaney Tel: 01 857 6431. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

RELATIONSHIPS AND SEXUALITY EDUCATION
Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) encourages children and young people to reflect on the relationships in their lives and to learn how to develop relationships which are based on mutual respect. This helps them to build a foundation for more intimate relationships in later life. RSE promotes a holistic understanding of sexuality and provides young people with information about their physical development and sexual health. 

RSE in the school aims to support the work of parents, who are the primary educators of their children in this area.

CONTEXT
An interim curriculum for RSE was developed in 1996 and all schools have been required to teach it since that time. However it was always intended that it would be an integral part of a wider Social, Personal and Health Education programme. This is now the case at primary level and at post-primary level up to Junior Cycle. A Senior Cycle SPHE curriculum is currently in development but schools are required to teach RSE at Senior Cycle, even in the absence of a timetabled SPHE class.

Schools are also required to develop an RSE policy through a consultative process involving parents, teachers, Boards of Management and, where appropriate, students.

RSE SUPPORT SERVICE
The role of the RSE Support Service is to support schools and teachers in fully implementing the RSE programme.

The following are available from the RSE Support Service:

• Advice and information on all aspects of RSE
• Training for primary teachers – for more information go to the primary section below
• Resource materials. All the materials on the website are available to download.  Hard copies of the four primary and two post primary teaching resource books are available at a cost of €16.00 (inc pp). Cheques should be made payable to Drumcondra Education Centre and sent to the above address.  To order original copies of these documents please fill in the attached order form and forward with your payment to Drumcondra Education Centre.

Given that RSE is taught in the context of SPHE there are close links between the RSE Support Service and the Primary Professional Development Service and the SPHE Support Service.
 
At primary level general advice and information on SPHE planning and policy are available from the Primary Professional Development Service.  For more information go to: www.ppds.ie

At post primary level all RSE training is delivered through the SPHE Support Service. For more information go to: www.sphe.ie