Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
EXTERNAL PROVIDERS OF sex education in schools should be regulated and accredited by the HSE and the Department of Education, according to a new report.
The Oireachtas Education Committee will call for a radical overhaul of how sex education is taught in both primary and secondary schools as it launches its report into the matter today.
It calls for outside players to be accredited so as “to ensure consistency and accuracy of information to students”.
Over the years, a number of reports have emerged of children being given misinformation during sex education seminars while in school.
In 2014, TheJournal.ie reported that one group of teenagers described how they were told by the Catholic group Pure in Heart that condoms fail one in six times. They also told TheJournal.ie that speakers from the group claimed condoms become less effective if kept in a wallet because heat melts them.
The Catholic Youth group also taped teens at one school together by the wrist in front of their classmates as a way of demonstrating what happens when a person has multiple sexual partners.
Outsourcing
Last year, RTÉ reported that some State schools had paid out more than €10,000 over the past two years to outsource teaching about the Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) to a Catholic agency.
In addition to calling for such agencies to be monitored, all schools should teach children about gay, lesbian and transgender relationships, according to the new report on sex education in Ireland.
Under the updated “fully inclusive” plan, both secondary and primary school children will be taught about gay, lesbian and transgender relationships “without distinction as to their heterosexual counterparts”.
The report notes that, currently, the sex education programme “constructs heterosexual intercourse as the primary definition of sex and is not inclusive of the experiences and sexual practices of those identifying as LGBTQI+”.
The updated plan of the social, personal and health education (SPHE) programme, which was first published in 1999, should also be delivered to children of a younger age, the report states.
Religious ethos
The committee also suggests that the law should be amended so as to ensure schools with a religious ethos cannot use it as a barrier to affect the content of what is taught, the resources that are used, and the approach that is taken.
The report states evidence was provided to the committee which “indicated inconsistency
between content and method which could be attributed to a lack of direction as to how to deal with the ethical and moral issues that arise when teaching the Relationships and Sexuality Education programme in an ethos-led school”.
The committee also noted that due to the current programme having a “moral, ethical and spiritual dimension”, its development is influenced by the ethos of the school.
The committee, however, did find that while schools have discretion regarding the delivery the sex education programme, a significant number of schools – regardless of ethos – are teaching the full RSE programme.
In its recommendations, the cross-party group states that the curriculum should be updated “to give consideration to the significant and welcome changes that have taken place in Ireland in order to produce a gender equality-based, inclusive, holistic, creative, empowering and protective curriculum”.
Teaching in primary schools
It adds that sex and relationship education should be given to children at primary level at an age and development level that is “appropriate”, though it does not detail what age that should be.
Instances of homophobic and transphobic bullying should also be monitored under a mechanism so as to collect relevant data in schools, the committee’s report says.
A specific curriculum for people with an intellectual disability should also be developed “at the earliest possibility”, with the committee adding that it should deal with sexuality and contraception.
Separately, former education minister Richard Bruton ordered a full review of sex education in schools, separate to the committee’s report, due to the fact that certain elements of the Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) programme in schools is 20 years old.
This review in due to be published in the first half of 2019.
Speaking before Christmas about the review, Education Minister Joe McHugh said:
“It is an issue we are taking very seriously.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Or maybe just stop over selling flights.
@Scundered: It’s common practice with most airlines. It’s happened me twice but I was happy to accept the offer of a free upgrade on one flight and on another I took the next flight and got a voucher for another return flight within 12 months.
@Scundered: that’s an option but if airlines stopped overselling seats, the price per seat would increase. I worked for AerLingus and some of the transatlantic services could sometimes be overbooked by as much as 10%. The majority of the time this wouldn’t cause any issue. But other times……
@Darren Doyle McCormack: But both Ryanir and Norwegian NEVER oversell seats and they dont need to increase fares..
@iMoan Brutal: Thanks for capitalising never. Would never have got your point without it! Ryanair never sold business tickets that were fully changeable. The type of passenger who flies long haul would be more likely to change their plans than someone going on a city break to Europe. Ryanair and AerLingus have very different business models.
@Darren Doyle McCormack: exactly, totally different business model. Also, very few ryanair passengers come from connecting flights, which reduces the chances of them not turning up. AerLingus are partners with JetBlue, British Airways, United Airlines and Flybe. If you are booked on an oversold flight, or you miss a connecting flight, you can get a later flight with a partner airline if they have capacity.
@Darren Doyle McCormack: then don’t sell changeable tickets. Sorted.
@Yer Man: Plans change. Business passengers may have a meeting that runs over or someone may be late due to an inbound connection. Life is not black and white.
At least you’ve got a better chance of “winning” 10k compared to scratch cards!
Slap, €1000
Punch €3000
Dragging €5000
Video of incident shared on social media €10000
@Matt Connolly: Having your past dragged up by gutter journalists: priceless.
@Matt Connolly: It was worth it for the Memes.
@Ben McArthur: and it wasn’t even him, they dug up dirt on the wrong guy
ok Michael O Leary -over to you.
@Bennythekid: whats over to him? He doesnt overbook flights so its none of his concern.
@deisecelt: don’t know where the Journal is coming from with this story the maximum amount of compensation allowed to be paid fur bumping a passenger is $1,350
@deisecelt: where did i mention anything about overbooked flights.
@Bennythekid: I think it’s more a question of what do you mean by over to you michael. As it’s nothing to do with Ryanair. But if you’d read the article or comments you’d know that
@Michael Hayden: double scores-25/50
So it’s ten grand or the slaps. That makes it really easy.
And if no one wants it, will you be dragged from your fully paid seat?!
@john Appleseed: you will be ejected from private property.
I still don’t believe over selling seats is a legitimate business practice, in what other industry can you sell something twice and hope someone doesn’t pick up their purchase so as to lower the unit cost of the product?
@RMcG: Its not exactly selling something twice. Its very common on medium/long haul flights, when a lot of passengers will be coming to the gate from many different connecting flights, and not just arriving at the airport’s departures area. All large airlines that offer intercontinental tickets will have partnerships with other airlines that cover similar routes. If you are on a flight that is oversold, you will be compensated for it, and given the next free space the airline, or a partner airline has. Its the same if you miss a connecting flight through no fault of your own, you will be put on the next available flight by that airline, or a partner airline. For example, I flew back to Dublin via Newark in February. My United flight into Newark was delayed by 3 hours, so I missed my connecting Aer Lingus flight in Newark, however I was put on the next United flight to Dublin a few hours later. If that United flight was fully booked, but 20 passengers were not going to show up, as their connecting flight was also delayed, then it makes sense for the airline to let me take their seats, rather than have 20 empty seats on the flight, and pay to put me up in a hotel until the next seat is available. Bear in mind, the cost of putting me up in a hotel would then need to be recouped by the airline, through increased ticket sales. Overselling allows airlines to keep planes as full as possible, and keep ticket sales as low as possible.
Please tell me which flight is overbooked and l will book it now
@pat seery: it’s pure PR it ain’t real as the maximum they can pay under US law is $1,350
@Boganity: Actually they can pay whatever they want above that figure if they choose to do so. There are 3 levels of remuneration depending on length of delay, how soon to your original arrival time the airline can get you there, whether you have to over night or not. Delta for instance allows its senior customer service personnel to offer up to $10,000 to ‘bumped’ passengers and that can be in cash or travel vouchers. Each airline has to meet the minimum requirements set by law, which to date do not include losing two teeth and getting yer nose broke.
Spend the money hiring proper staff not thugs
@Stouts O Shea:
They were the airport police and not UA staff
What is the guy they dragged off getting in compensation?
@Alan: don’t know but’ll it’ll have seven seven numbers and two commas in it
That dragged guy apology interview with CEO Munoz is worth watching for entertainment values, Comedy Central, winner so far for BS talk of 2017.
They will be paying Mr Dao considerably more than 10k
Too late too late.!
They are damaged forever.
in vouchers,
@Maurice Slater: to be used off peak in days that don’t have an “a” in them
and a free slap
Did Munoz mention the bunny wabbit?
Surely this overbooking is just pure greed by airlines. Anyone who books a flight has to pay in advance so whether or not they show up the seat is paid for. Therefore the airlines are trying to get seats paid for twice. Obviously to business people this is good practice. Justice doesn’t come into it. Well I hope people will choose their airline more carefully. As for Ryanair I’ve never had a problem and I definitely have never seen anyone dragged off a plane
The airline is trying to redeem some level of responsibility back after the PR nightmare of recent weeks. Buy all accounts their stock has taken a high hit and the shareholders are losing value on their stake. Desperation tactics.
I’d sit there and demand 20k with my phone out lol
Do you have to take a mandatory beating by armed gun crazy American police before you volunteer?
Here a novel to make money and s the world book flights as late as possible an hope f a over booking.
Reason I book my seat so can’t remove me
Others try to save that 10e but worth it for peace of mind .
Would rather get dragged off and sue them for 10 million.
have your say