Consent vital part of Relationships and Sexuality Education, says Northern Ireland Humanists

Consent education is a vital component of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE), and  should be taught in an unbiased and evidence-led manner to make sure young people get the knowledge they need about boundaries, healthy relationships, and preventing sexual harassment and relationship abuse. That is the view of Northern Ireland Humanists, given in its response to the Assembly’s Education Committee’s inquiry on RSE.

The Education Committee launched its inquiry to understand how RSE is taught in other parts of the UK, Ireland, and internationally; understand the teaching provision of RSE across Northern Ireland; and understand if changes need to be made to RSE in Northern Ireland and what these should look like.

Alongside calls for unbiased consent education, Northern Ireland Humanists’ also called for any parental right to withdraw their children from RSE to be removed, and for the Department of Education (DE) to scrap the provision that allows schools to deliver RSE in alignment with the ethos of the school.

Although lessons on abortion, contraception, and consent are compulsory in Northern Ireland, the DE issued guidance to schools and governors that allows for teachers to discuss ‘moral, ethical and spiritual issues’ associated with the RSE minimum content. Northern Ireland Humanists argues that this should be removed from the guidance to make sure the RSE is delivered in an evidence-led manner.

Earlier this year Northern Ireland Humanists welcomed the passing of a motion mandating compulsory ‘standardised, inclusive, high-quality, evidence-based and age-appropriate’ RSE In the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Northern Ireland Humanists Coordinator Boyd Sleator commented:

‘The Education Committee’s inquiry into RSE is a welcome opportunity to make the case for good quality, unbiased, and evidence-led teaching. We urge the Assembly and Executive to make further reforms to make sure the subject is free from religious bias.

‘RSE that is inclusive, evidence-based, and age-appropriate equips young people with the knowledge they need to navigate relationships in a healthy and respectful way, while also fostering a society that values respect and informed consent. We will continue to work closely with educators, parents, and policymakers to make the case for an unbiased and evidence-led RSE curriculum.’