Abortion access lessons to be compulsory in post-primary schools in NI

It will be compulsory for all post-primary schools in Northern Ireland to teach pupils about access to abortion and prevention of early pregnancy.

It comes after Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris laid new regulations in Parliament, covering relationships and sex education (RSE).

In a written statement, he said he had a legal duty to act on recommendations made in a United Nations (UN) report.

Until now individuals schools have decided how to teach sex education.

But the Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, or the CEDAW Report, it said RSE in Northern Ireland should be compulsory and comprehensive.

In practice that will mean pupils have to be taught about issues like how to prevent a pregnancy, the legal right to an abortion in Northern Ireland, and how relevant services may be accessed.

In a statement, Stormont's Department of Education said: "The department will now consider the implications of the new duties placed on it, including assessing any additional resources that will be required."

On Tuesday, Mr Heaton-Harris said: "I have today laid regulations in Parliament to implement the CEDAW recommendation to 'make age-appropriate, comprehensive and scientifically accurate education on sexual and reproductive health and rights, a compulsory component of curriculum for adolescents, covering prevention of early pregnancy and access to abortion in Northern Ireland, and monitor its implementation.'"

"The regulations will mirror the approach taken in England with regard to education about the prevention of early pregnancy and access to abortion.

"It has always been my preference that, as a devolved matter, the Department of Education in Northern Ireland updates the curriculum.

"However, nearly four years have passed since the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Act 2019, adolescents in Northern Ireland are still not receiving comprehensive and scientifically accurate education on sexual and reproductive health and rights."

Each school in Northern Ireland is currently required by the department to develop its own RSE policy and to teach RSE.

However what is actually taught to pupils about RSE has been a matter for each school to decide, based on their school ethos.

That approach has previously been criticised by some experts, who have said it leads to "different and inconsistent learning experiences" for pupils.

The Executive Formation Act previously led to new laws on abortion being introduced in Northern Ireland.

But according to Mr Heaton-Harris, that act also required him to implement recommendations on RSE contained in the CEDAW report.

The CEDAW report said that young people were "denied the education necessary to enjoy their sexual and reproductive health and rights".

In his written statement on Tuesday, Mr Heaton-Harris said he was amending previous education acts in Northern Ireland to make aspects of RSE compulsory.

Although the changes to the RSE curriculum will come into effect from 1 July, the Department of Education must issue guidance to schools by 1 January 2024 on what they are required to teach.

Mr Heaton-Harris said that would give six months for "meaningful engagement with teachers, parents and young people" about the changes.

He also said that parents could still withdraw their children "from education on sexual and reproductive health and rights, or elements of that education".

"This follows the approach taken in England and Scotland," he said.

"Consultation with parents on relationship and sexuality education is already common practice in Northern Ireland and we expect the Department of Education to ensure schools afford parents the opportunity to review relevant materials.

"Educating adolescents on issues such as contraception, and access to abortion in Northern Ireland, should be done in a factual way that does not advocate, or oppose, a particular view on the moral and ethical considerations of abortion or contraception."

The changes to RSE have been welcomed by the NSPCC in Northern Ireland.

Natalie Whelehan from the children's charity called the new regulations a "positive step".

"Making excellent quality RSE teaching available to all secondary school-aged children will ensure they receive information on what constitutes healthy and unhealthy relationships both online and offline and about their right to be safe, heard and protected," she said.

"This positive step also means that young people in Northern Ireland will now have consistent access to similar information available to young people in the rest of the UK."

The moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Dr John Kirkpatrick, said the Northern Ireland Secretary was trying to "impose a particular worldview on the education of children in Northern Ireland".

"In an increasingly pluralistic context, RSE of course should be taught in a sensitive and inclusive manner, where teaching is reinforced and supported by policies and processes that schools have in place around safeguarding, bullying and pastoral care," he said.

"Young people should have the opportunity to explore their own personal morals, values and beliefs including the moral and ethical considerations around sensitive issues like abortion and contraception.

"The secretary of state's actions run contrary to these aspirations," he continued.