Clodagh Houlihan, 3rd Year Presentation Secondary School Student was delighted to be invited to attend the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, Dublin on the 13th March 2019 to participate in a very important consultation process regarding the review and reform of RSE (Relationships and Sexuality Education) programme in schools. Clodagh is a Comhairle na NÓg member.
Attending with Clodagh to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs on the 13th March were two other participants from Kerry and follow participants nationally.
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) is reviewing Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE), which is part of the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) in post primary schools.
The participants shared their views as to how RSE could be made better. The young people were allocated into groups to conduct a workshop with age appropriate discussions. The NCCA will use the feedback from students to advise the Minister for Education on changes that are needed so that RSE can be improved and better meets the needs of students.
Clodagh thoroughly enjoyed participating and it was a wonderful experience to attend and meet young people and the facilitators on the day. Some facilitators on the day were Comhairle na nÓg Advisory Committee members. It was wonderful for the young people to be involved in this. They all had a lot to say on the topic as this affects them and are delighted to be part of any potential decision making surrounding this.
Clodagh would like to thank her school Presentation Secondary School and Comhairle na nÓg for inviting her to the event.