Matthew talks us through the Committee for Education’s RSE Inquiry Youth Engagement Session

Youth Assembly Members sitting at a white round table with information packs on the table in front of them
Youth Assembly Member Matthew shares his thoughts on on a recent event in Parliament Buildings, looking at the Education Committee's mini-inquiry into Relationships and Sexuality Education...

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Matthew

Youth Assembly Member

On Tuesday 15 October, the Northern Ireland Youth Assembly were invited by the Committee for Education to attend an event at Parliament Buildings on the Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) mini-inquiry.

The Youth Assembly Members, along with members of other youth organisations in attendance, were split up into three groups and had opportunities to talk with MLAs about our concerns.

The meeting began with the Chair of the Education Committee, Nick Mathison MLA, welcoming the youth organisations to the meeting. The Chair explained that they would ask a few questions on RSE, and we were to give our view on how we saw it.

After the chair finished explaining how the meeting would work, the organisations would have representatives come up and say a few short words. Once the introductory speeches were finished, some members of the Youth Assembly took pictures with members of the education committee, and after that the talks began.

We were asked for our experience of how RSE programmes are currently designed and delivered in schools; what is working well and what isn’t working; and what changes we believe need to be made to the delivery of RSE.

This is what we said:

  1. Members feel strongly that RSE must be taught in ALL schools in a factual, non-biased, scientific way which is not influenced by religion or school ethos.
  2. Members feel that there has been a lot of misinformation about RSE, particularly in the media, since the Secretary of State made changes. This needs to betackled head on by the Department for Education.
  3. Schools need to timetable LLW and RSE properly. Members felt that sometimes teachers don’t want to teach it. RSE is a sensitive subject and is continually evolving. RSE teachers are usually not specialists and find it on their timetable if they have space, rather than the skills or desire to teach it.
  4. Teachers need access to ongoing, specialist training and resources which will give confidence. The Department needs to properly fund this. There has been no training for LLW teachers since last curriculum changes in 2007. This is before we were born.
  5. Youth Assembly would like the Minister to make LLW and RSE a priority in his upcoming curriculum review.
  6. Over 70% of Youth Assembly Members said that the current RSE provision in their schools is not providing them with the necessarylife-skills. The LLW/RSE lesson is often used to revise or do homework. RSE is not offered in Year 13/14 as it is not on the statutory curriculum yet it is important for young peopleaged 16-18 to continue to have opportunities to learn about RSE. Missing these lessons could limit a young person’s understanding of the world and there could be safeguarding dangers to children if these things aren’t taught. To quote a YA member: “When parents choose to opt out of these lessons and these issues are not taught at school, then it is unlikely to be taught at home by these same
  7. Some Members report that RSE information can be biased depending on the school/teacher. Members reported that topics aren’t covered or are heavilyinfluenced by the school ethos. Children have the right to an education and the right to have their voice heard.
  8. Members want to emphasise that outside agencies can have a role in delivering RSE, however this is MUST be to compliment or reinforce what is being taught not as a way for schools to tick a box or to avoid teaching “awkward topics.”
  9. Just 2% of Youth Assembly Members report being consulted on their schools’ RSE policy. We feel that pupils, parents and teachers (and others who work in a school) ALL need to be consulted on RSE content and policies and how it is being taught and young people’s views need to be given due weight and taken seriously. How can a school prove that they have done this? RSE policies need to be regularly reviewed and publicly available. A Member tried to access their schools’ RSE policy on the school website She was told it is not publicly available and is only available on request from the school office.
  10. We feel that, from a children’s rights perspective:
  • all children should have the right to the same education;
  • young people need to have more of a say in RSE policies and how RSE is taught;
  • comprehensive, scientifically accurate RSE lessons are in the best interests of the child; and
  • that RSE is important interms of learning life skills for our adolescence and adult lives.

The night concluded with each table summing up what they talked about, after which the chair gave a few closing remarks ending the meeting on RSE.

We are grateful to the Committee for inviting us to give our views.

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