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New sex education course on the way for reformed junior cycle

The short course will be available in schools from September 2014 and schools can opt in as to whether to adopt it.

THE DEPARTMENT OF Education has said that under the new Junior Certificate reforms the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment are currently developing a new short course on relationships and sexuality education.

The department confirmed to TheJournal.ie, that as part of the reforms the “approach to relationships and sexuality education is changing at junior cycle” adding that a new short course as part of Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) will be delivered in September 2014.

It will also involve an increase in the time allocation for SPHE at Junior Cycle from 60 to 100 hours.

Online

In addition to these changes, a new short course will also be available in Digital Media Literacy where a student’s learning activity would include “development of a charter of online rights and responsibilities that define acceptable use of digital technologies in the school”.

While the department states that SPHE and Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) deal with sexual education issues such as “sexting” already, changes are being made to the current course.

The department stated that the accessing of pornography on mobiles phone is “primarily an issue for parents in the first instance, as parents are the primary educators of their children,” but said schools can complement the role of parents and help ensure that children have the essential “life skills” that will enable them to address a range of difficult issues – “including knowing what is appropriate and what is inappropriate, and can include personal safety, bullying, and substance use,” they said.

Social, Personal and Health Education

They added that this is something that is addressed at both SPHE and RSE level.

The changes are being brought about under the new ‘Well-being’ principle which is underpinned in the new reforms, says the department.

The aim is the student experience will “contribute to their physical, mental, emotional and social well-being and resilience. Learning takes place in a climate focused on collective well-being of school, community and society”.

They stated that “young people face a range of challenges and opportunities both within and outside of school” involving issues relating to relationships and sexuality but may also encompass other important areas such as substance use, bullying and mental health.

“Under the new Junior Cycle Framework, pupils will be provided with opportunities to acquire the relevant skills of ‘managing myself’, ‘staying well’, and ‘communicating’. One element of ‘staying well’ is being responsible, safe and ethical in using digital technology,” they said. The development of these skills aims to enable pupils to address the challenges they face and adapt their skills to different contexts.

As part of the new Junior Cycle Framework, schools will be given the flexibility to determine how best to ensure that their pupils fulfill the principles, statements of learning and skills.

Schools may therefore choose to implement the new short course in SPHE that is being developed by the NCCA, or they may choose to continue to use existing courses or other approaches.

New SPHE lesson plans on personal safety for junior cycle students will be rolled out to schools, through in-service training for relevant teachers, in the coming months.

Anti-bullying

Through these lesson plans students are afforded an opportunity to examine their attitudes and values and are reminded of good online safety practices, the department said in a statement.

New lesson plans on personal safety are also currently being developed for senior cycle SPHE. These will build on the junior cycle lesson plans but will also include information that is age appropriate to senior cycle students.

It is envisaged that these lesson plans will be available for the start of the next school year.

Revisions are also being made to the Child Abuse Prevention Programme (CAPP) or Stay Safe programme. The current programme is delivered to primary school children from Junior Infants through to 6th class and is there to enhance children’s self-protective skills by participation in lessons on safe and unsafe situations, bullying, inappropriate touch, secrets, telling and stranger danger.

The revised programme will address new forms of risk, including cyber bullying and incorporate new research and best practice in the area of safeguarding children as well as developments in terms of policies, provision and curriculum.

As part of the updating of the Stay Safe programme, feedback is currently being invited from parents and teachers to identify issues that they would like to see included in the revised programme.

Read: Key questions on new Junior Cycle Student Award ‘unanswered’>

Read: 7 things the new name for the Junior Cert ACTUALLY sounds like>

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17 Comments
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    Mute rathminer
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    Jan 15th 2012, 1:31 PM

    Hilarious to think anybody could say ‘no’. Awards heavily influence everybody’s movie decisions. Anybody who says otherwise hasn’t thought about it enough. So there.

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    Mute Adrian De Cleir
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    Jan 15th 2012, 1:38 PM

    True, they influence mine, not cause I believe an awarded movie is better but because it’s far more likely to be marketed properly.

    ALSO, lets be fair, awarded movies are rarely absolutely terrible. Whereas if a movie is really really bad it defo won’t get an award.

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    Mute Bernadette Dunne
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    Jan 15th 2012, 1:47 PM

    I do not take any notice of the awards I do not watch them and I do not read about them as far as I am concerned I find them BORING I love films but I will choose my own and so far I have not seen many I do not enjoy I do not need the media or anyone else tell me what film I will enjoy…..

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    Mute Matt Crosbie
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    Jan 15th 2012, 2:02 PM

    Bernadette, 100%

    25
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    Mute Roddie Cleere
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    Jan 15th 2012, 3:02 PM

    Load of crap

    8
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    Mute Pat Ryan
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    Jan 15th 2012, 6:10 PM

    Hahahaha! AND no. Frankly, I go to the cinema pretty often, and usually the movies up for awards I give a rats about have already been on, or I’ve already passed on seeing them. They occasionally influence my DVD rentals I will admit, but that option isn’t available in the poll.

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    Mute Barry O'Keeffe
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    Jan 15th 2012, 4:01 PM

    I use the following criteria.
    Q. Is Hulk Hogan in the Film?
    Yes! Rent it
    No! Don’t rent it!

    23
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    Mute Val Kearney
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    Jan 15th 2012, 4:12 PM

    Same principal can also be used for the following: Laurence Fishburn, Steven Seagal, Chuck Norris, Jackie Chan, Scarlett Johannson, Megan Fox and the voice of Morgan Freeman.

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    Mute Matt Crosbie
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    Jan 15th 2012, 1:10 PM

    not in the slightest

    22
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    Mute Wujashtop
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    Jan 15th 2012, 1:08 PM

    Of course they influence my decision. That spent mean a film is always worth watching. The Iron Lady is shite for example…

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    Mute Wujashtop
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    Jan 15th 2012, 1:08 PM

    Doesn’t

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    Mute damien o'c
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    Jan 15th 2012, 2:52 PM

    if you have a smartphone download the rotten tomatoes app. great when you’re standing in xtravision add wondering if a video is crap or not. there’s a critics rating and an audience rating and its usually fairly spot on..

    14
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    Mute Michael Sullivan
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    Jan 15th 2012, 3:49 PM

    Xtravision still exisits?!?

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    Mute Eamonn Clancy
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    Jan 15th 2012, 5:00 PM

    I just go through the latest torrents and download whatever catches my eye.

    12
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    Mute Val Kearney
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    Jan 15th 2012, 1:39 PM

    Only one I can think of in recent years has been the Hurt Locker.

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    Mute Finnian Curran
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    Jan 15th 2012, 2:18 PM

    absolutely fantastic film

    7
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    Mute Ian F.
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    Jan 15th 2012, 6:14 PM

    I was very disappointed with that film…

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    Mute Ian F.
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    Jan 15th 2012, 5:12 PM

    Awards don’t influence me at all. They’re all rigged anyway and I honestly couldn’t give a crap who wins what – I watch things that are of interest to me, subject or genre wise. That whole fake red carpet and badly disguised resentment… it’s just not my thing.

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    Mute Danny D
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    Jan 15th 2012, 7:20 PM

    Overpaid actors and directors with constant need to reassurance of how talented they all are with awards and lavish parties to celebrate themselves …

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    Mute Fiachra Maolmordha Ó Raghallaigh
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    Jan 15th 2012, 4:48 PM

    Film reviews, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic are generally what I look at. Those generally give a more balanced overview than Hollywood self-back patting.

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    Mute Laura Crowe
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    Jan 15th 2012, 4:21 PM

    Imdb is your friend in this regard.

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    Mute Paul Breen
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    Jan 15th 2012, 3:46 PM

    Of course, Oscars, Palme d’Or, Berlin Film Festival. I make sure to watch the winners of all those, and so far I’ve not been disappointed.

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    Mute Shane Brehony
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    Jan 15th 2012, 9:47 PM

    Yes as most films that are nominated for these awards , Are the ones that i choose not to go and see because most are nominated films are usually muck ie . No country for old men

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    Mute John Staunton
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    Jan 15th 2012, 2:51 PM

    as always with the journal polls there are never enough options, so my answer is:yes the awards do influence my decision because they make me aware of the movies existence so will usually check the rating and reviews on imdb.com and make up my mind if its worth a go.

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    Mute Jamie Walsh
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    Jan 15th 2012, 10:22 PM

    That’d be a reaaaaaaaallllyyy long option.

    I think they’re trying to be a bit more succinct.

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    Mute John Staunton
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    Jan 16th 2012, 12:45 AM

    lol ok you got me!

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    Mute John Staunton
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    Jan 16th 2012, 12:44 AM

    some people have said the awards go to crap movies, let just look at the last few winners. I count one bad movie out of the last 12 and thats chicago, the rest are top drawer entertainment

    2010 – “The King’s Speech”
    2009 – “The Hurt Locker”
    2008 – “Slumdog Millionaire”
    2007 – “No Country for Old Men”
    2006 – “The Departed”
    2005 – “Crash”
    2004 – “Million Dollar Baby”
    2003 – “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”
    2002 – “Chicago”
    2001 – “A Beautiful Mind”
    2000 – “Gladiator”
    1999 – “American Beauty”

    3
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    Mute Micheal Nagle
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    Jan 16th 2012, 9:50 AM

    I wonder how many of the people who said ‘No’ to this poll have seen any of the movies that John has just listed?

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    Mute Proinsias Matthews
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    Jan 15th 2012, 8:41 PM

    I probably would never of seen Crash if it hadn’t got Best Picture at the Oscars but now that I think about it that’s just about it. Lots of awards go to bad movies that mainly Americans find good but don’t agree with my taste.

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    Mute Eoin Kelly
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    Jan 16th 2012, 12:29 AM

    No but the chances of seeing some boob action does!

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    Mute Gwyn Morgan
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    Jan 16th 2012, 12:19 AM

    yes. I keep a close eye on the winners, assume that they must be schmaltzy lowest-common denominator garbage and then avoid them like the plague

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    Mute Niall O'Keeffe
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    Jan 16th 2012, 10:16 AM

    I actually don’t pay any attention to whether a film has won awards or not when deciding whether to watch it… I even tend to avoid watching trailers as I find they spoil films too much… I will, however, occasionally take a sneaky peek at a film’s rottentomatoes.com rating before deciding…

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    Mute Kerryspirit Chris
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    Jan 15th 2012, 7:53 PM

    I hit NO but i believe YES for the opposite! Against blockbusters…. ;-) And to watch things and movies a bit different of mainstream !!!! ;-)

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