AQO 1897/17-22

Ms Clare Bailey
Green Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 25/03/2021
Answered On Date: 20/04/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education for an update on his Department’s work to implement the recommendations of the Gillen Review: Report into the law and procedures in serious sexual offences in Northern Ireland, in schools.

Answer:

My Department is working closely with the Department of Justice (DoJ) to take forward the recommendations in Sir John Gillen’s report. One of the actions from the Implementation Plan is raising education and awareness in relation to consent. An Education and Awareness working group has been established on which DE is represented, alongside other departments and key delivery partners to drive this work forward.

I met with the Minister of Justice recently to discuss progress and the interconnection between our respective Departments. Our discussion focused on issues including the Council for Curriculum Examination and Assessment’s Relationships and Sexuality Education Hub and the additional work completed by CCEA on this in 2020/21, preventative education programmes and the broader safeguarding programme, including the Safer Schools App.

I can confirm that during this meeting we agreed to establish a sub-group to consider the minimum content order for the curriculum and whether schools use this as the maximum level of curricular content for all their pupils, including those with special educational needs. It is our intention to identify any gaps in order to establish a more uniform and consistent approach to teaching topics such as dispelling rape myths and consent.

In addition to this, my Departmental officials are also reviewing current work programmes in relation to preventative education to ensure that any future programmes will address these sensitive topics.