Transcript Slide 1

Presentation
on the work of the
Dáil na nÓg Council
2009
What is Dáil na nÓg?
• Dáil na nÓg is the annual national youth
parliament for young people aged 12 to 18
years old.
• It is funded and overseen by the Office of
the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.
• The National Youth Council of Ireland is
contracted to work with the OMCYA in
organising Dáil na nÓg.
• 200 delegates are elected to Dáil na nÓg
through their local Comhairle na nÓg.
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What is the Dáil na nÓg Council?
• Each of the 34 Comhairle na nÓg elects
one delegate to become a member of the
Dáil na nÓg Council.
• The Council meets once a month and
works in two groups on the themes
selected and voted on at Dail na nOg.
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Role of Dáil na nÓg Councillors
• The role of the Council is to follow-up on
recommendations from Dáil na nÓg and work to
make changes for young people in those areas.
• The Council represents the young people who
took part in Dáil na nÓg and the young people in
their Comhairle na nÓg.
• Members of the Council do research on the top
issues voted at Dáil na nÓg.
• Councillors prepare arguments and presentations
for adult policy makers.
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Themes discussed at
Dáil na nÓg 2009
•Physical Health
•Mental Health
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Top recommendations from Dáil na
nÓg 2009 and priorities of the Council
Physical Health:
• Cervical cancer vaccine to be made available free of
charge for all 12-18 year olds.
• All young people should have access to sex
education, which is appropriate to individual needs,
comprehensive and varied in delivery.
Mental Health:
• The Government needs to implement a structured
Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) course
for Senior Cycle students incorporating positive
mental health awareness.
Some of our work in the Council was in separate groups
and some together, because of the strong links between
SPHE and Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE).
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Our work on cervical cancer
• During the last year we researched cervical
cancer.
• We met Dr Shirley McQuade from the
Wellwoman Centre.
• We learned that it is the 2nd most common
cause of death from cancer in young women
in the EU.
• We learned that on average, 6 women die of
cervical cancer each month in Ireland.
• We discovered the importance of the
cervical vaccine and of the cervical cancer
vaccine screening programme.
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Cervical cancer
We met Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer. He
spoke about cervical screening, safe sexual
behaviour and the vaccine. He was shocked by the
findings of our school surveys and that the HBSC
survey in Ireland excludes questions about the
sexual behaviour of teenagers.
We met Sanofi Pasteur and Glaxo Smith Kline, the
companies that manufacture the cervical cancer
vaccine. We asked them to provide the vaccine to
the Government as cheaply as possible because of
the recession.
We REALLY welcome the decision to start the
vaccine programme, announced by Minister Harney
in January, who met us the day after the
announcement.
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Our work on SPHE and RSE
We met with the following important
decision-makers and stakeholders:
•
The SPHE support service for teacher training
in SPHE
•
The NCCA Education Officer for SPHE
•
Students from a Cork school where SPHE is
being implemented
•
The researcher from NUIG who evaluates SPHE
•
The National Co-ordinator for RSE
•
A Principal Officer for Curriculum Development
in the Department of Education and Science
•
Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney
TD
•
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Barry
Andrews, TD
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What we learned about
SPHE …..
•
•
All schools must deliver SPHE from Primary
to 3rd year
The evaluations show that most schools are
doing this but there are still some issues
that must be addressed:
‘SPHE is working where there is good teacher training
and a lot of support from school principals and from
the Department of Education and Science.
SPHE is different to other subjects for many reasons’.
•
Many teachers still find it difficult to deal
with more sensitive issues in class,
especially those related to RSE.
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What we learned
Why we need SPHE Senior Cycle
• The evidence that we need SPHE
Senior Cycle is clear when you look
at the many difficult issues that
young people are facing.
• Young people themselves and lots of
reports say that SPHE can help to
give young people the information
and skills necessary to deal with
important challenges.
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What we learned about RSE …..
• RSE is part of SPHE up to 3rd year
• Schools are obliged to continue
teaching RSE up to the end of 6th year
• All schools should have an RSE policy
• The HBSC survey in Ireland does not
include questions about sexual
behaviour of teenagers.
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What we learned..
Study on RSE Implementation
Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in the
Context of Social, Personal and Health Education (2007)
- Results from the Teachers and Principals Survey showed the
following:
• Only 60% of schools surveyed have an RSE policy
• 30% of schools reported not teaching RSE lessons in 3rd
year, 43% in 5th year and 48% in Leaving Certificate year.
We were surpised that NO young people were surveyed in this
study!
Factors preventing full implementation of
RSE
% of schools
agreeing
overcrowded curriculum
82%
discomfort of some teachers in teaching RSE
71%
pressure of examination subjects
67%
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What we learned..
SPHE Senior cycle – the story so far ……
• For over 3 years the NCCA worked on
developing a curriculum for Senior
Cycle SPHE.
• The proposal is that it will be
implemented on a phased basis.
• We reviewed the curriculum and think
it is excellent and we met students
from a Cork School where it is being
delivered because it is a priority for
that school – this proved that it can be
done if the school and management
want to do it.
• Despite all this the Department of
Education and Science do not feel that
SPHE is a priority.
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What we did (1)
• We did surveys in our schools
during May and early June on the
implementation of RSE.
• The results were startling,
indicating a very low level of
effective RSE education.
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What we did (2)
• We sent letters to a wide variety of organisations
looking for their support for our work in getting SPHE
Senior Cycle implemented – over 40 letters have
been received from organisations such as:
Barnardos
Amnesty International
Aware
ISPCC
Crisis Pregnancy Agency
Teachers Unions
Mental Health Ireland Grow
Head Strong
Youth Reach Ireland
Many Comhairle na nÓgs –some Mayor’s & Co. Co/s
Samaritans
Irish Secondary Students Union
HEA
Drink Aware
Heart Foundation
Cancer Society
Well Woman
Irish Family Planning Association
BeLonG To
Psychiatrists Association
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What we did (3)
• At our meetings with the CMO
and Minister Harney, we got
agreement that sexual
behaviour questions will be
included in next HBSC Study in
Ireland
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What we did 4
•
•
•
•
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We wanted to highlight the difference
between the findings of the CPA/DES
Study on RSE implementation (2007)
and our own school survey
We decided to do a more extensive and
detailed survey with young people.
We worked with a researcher to
develop a survey for young people on
SPHE and RSE in schools.
We trained as social researchers.
We conducted surveys in our
Comhairles.
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A Survey on the
Implementation of SPHE and
RSE in Secondary Schools in
Ireland
Dáil na nÓg Council
January 2009
Demographics
• A total of 354 young people took part in the
study: 134- SPHE survey; 220- RSE survey.
• SPHE survey: 68 schools in 12 counties
• RSE survey: 94 schools in 13 counties
• SPHE survey- Gender: 53% male; 47%
female
• RSE survey- Gender: 42% male; 58% female
• SPHE- Age: 12-16 years, 15 (38%), 14
(25%),13 (22%), 16 (10%), 12 (5%)
• RSE- Age: 15-18 years, 16 (39%), 17 (29%),
15 (23%), 18 (9%)
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SPHE Survey Results
• 86% had SPHE classes in 2009
• 84% have SPHE classes once a week
• 92%- SPHE 1 class in length on
average
• 91% SPHE is timetabled as a class
• SPHE Policy: Yes = 37%; No = 8%;
Don’t know/unanswered = 55%
• 13% involved in development of
SPHE policy in their school
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SPHE Survey Results
• SPHE helped develop personal and
social skills:
Yes = 38%; No =
30% ; Unsure = 32%
• SPHE helped develop self-respect and
self-confidence:
Yes = 46%; No = 30% ; Unsure = 24%
• SPHE helped make good decisions:
Yes = 56%; No = 24% ; Unsure = 20%
• SPHE chance to think/talk about
interesting subjects: Yes = 52%; No =
27%; Unsure = 21%
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RSE Survey Results
• 25% had RSE classes in 2009, 75% did
not have any classes.
• 50.5%- never had RSE classes in their
school.
• RSE on average once a week.
• 72%- RSE is not timetabled as a class.
• 32% RSE part of Religion, 21% SPHE,
6% Science/Biology, 1% Home Ec., 1%
Social Ed., 1% Health Ed., 1% Life Skills.
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RSE Survey Results
• 45% had guest speakers in RSE
• Main issues discussed- contraception/
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs),
crisis pregnancy and abstinence
• Guest speakers- medical, crisis
pregnancy agencies and religious
groups
• 24%- very useful, 44% useful, 19% not
very useful, 13% not at all useful.
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RSE Survey Results
• “God's input into sex. It was quite bad,
they ridiculed homosexuality.”
• “A religious cult, they said not to have
sex before marriage.”
• “Catholic youth workers who provided
us with untrue facts and gave
misguided information. It was solely
"the teaching of the Catholic Church"
and totally bias.”
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RSE Survey Results
• Importance of learning RSE in school:
45% very important; 22% important; 4%
not very important; 3% not at all
important; 26% unanswered.
• ‘RSE classes cover all the important
relationships and sexuality topics I need
to know at this stage in my life.’
18% strongly agreed; 26% agreed; 17%
disagreed; 9% strongly disagreed; 30%
unanswered.
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RSE Survey Results
Main ways RSE could be improved:
• Teaching of RSE to be mandatory;
• Wider, more in-depth curriculum;
• More interesting, fun teaching methods;
• Better trained teachers to deliver RSE;
• More open debates led by young people;
• More guest speakers;
• More focus on mental health issues;
• To be take more seriously- exam subject.
• “Actually teach it. Have a variety of
discussions, questions, workshops etc.
Teach us everything about relationships
and sexuality, don't leave bits out.”
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What YOU can do about our issues
• Use your power to influence the Minister
for Education to implement the SPHE
programme at senior cycle.
• We want all party support for the inclusion
of sexual behaviour questions in the HBSC
survey.
• We want you to push for RSE to be taught
separate to religion. Only 25% of students
are getting any RSE in 5th and 6th yr and
this is mostly through religion class.
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Our Survey..
• We will be publishing and launching
our survey in the coming months.
• It is the first time the views of young
people have been collected on this
issue.
• The results speak for themselves and
we hope that you will work with us to
improve the lives of young people
nationwide.
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And Finally….
• We want you to ensure on a local
level that young people are involved
in developing SPHE and RSE polices
in their schools.
• Support and work with our Comhairle
na nÓg around the country. Ensure
we are adequately funded.
• Put teen issues on your party
agenda!
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