Thomas Pringle TD calls for inclusive sex education not the Catholic Flourish course

Independent TD Thomas Pringle has called for age appropriate, inclusive, and diverse relationship and sex education in Irish schools. He says:

“Get your rosaries off our ovaries.” How long has this slogan been around Ireland?  From hospitals to schools and everywhere in between we have the evidence of the Catholic Church dictating access to information on sexual and reproductive healthcare and also blocking that access.  The disentanglement of the Church and State must happen sooner rather than later.

With the great strides we have taken as a country for inclusion of our LGBTQI+ friends and family, why would we allow children to be made feel ‘wrong’ in school?  There should be age appropriate, inclusive, and diverse relationship and sex education.

I agree with the recommendation of the Citizens Assembly on the Eighth Amendment and those of the Joint Committee on the Eighth amendment for the need for improvements in this area in primary and post-primary schools.  I also agree with the issues highlighted in October 2020 by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the 2017 recommendation of the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

We have been talking about this for years and now that the Flourish RSE course has been published by the Catholic Bishops we cannot stand by and allow out-of-date heteronormative relationship and sexuality schools to take precedence in schools.  We also have to ensure that teachers who refuse to follow the catholic ethos in schools do not face disciplinary procedures.  We need to stand together, against the Church.”