Speaking ahead of today’s Assembly debate on the Committee for Education’s report into Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE), the Aontú Deputy Leader said that while safeguarding children must remain paramount, any future reforms must also respect parental rights, school ethos and truly consultative processes. The Assembly is due to debate a motion endorsing the Committee’s recommendations and calling on the Minister of Education to bring forward proposals to strengthen RSE delivery in schools.
Speaking ahead of the debate Aontú’s Gemma Brolly stated: “Let me be absolutely clear. Aontú supports age-appropriate education equipping children to recognise unhealthy relationships, stay safe online and understand the dangers that increasingly exist in today’s world. Those are common sense objectives.”
However, the East Derry representative warned that safeguarding must not be used to sideline the role of parents in education: “Parents are not merely stakeholders in their children’s education. They are the primary educators of their children. Schools exist to support families, not replace them” she said.
The representative expressed concern at recommendations relating to parental withdrawal rights and the future direction of RSE policy. Ms Brolly stated, “The key issue is not whether safeguarding matters. Of course it does. The real question is who defines safeguarding and what future Ministers may decide falls within that category – let’s be clear on the potential consequences – today’s safeguarding lesson could well become tomorrow’s ideological lesson.”
The Aontú Deputy Leader also stressed the importance of protecting parental choice and school ethos across Northern Ireland’s education system. “Aontú have been clear on this from the start. Consistency must not become uniformity. Parents choose schools for many reasons, including their ethos and values, as is their right. Diversity in education includes respecting religious schools and religious families. Any future reforms must recognise that reality.”
Calling for greater transparency, Ms Brolly continued: “Parents deserve to know exactly what is being taught, who is delivering lessons and what materials are being used. This is not always the case. We welcome reform which would ensure such transparency and partnership with parents.”
Urging the Minister to provide clarity on a number of key questions as proposals are developed, Ms Brolly asked: “Will parental withdrawal rights be protected? Will parents have access to all teaching materials? Will school ethos be respected? What safeguards will apply to external providers? And will major curriculum changes involve genuine consultation? We encourage the public to contact their MLAs and put these questions to them. Ask them directly what their position is.”
Ms Brolly concluded: “Aontú will always support measures that genuinely protect children, but we will also defend parental rights, school ethos and accountability every step of the way. Parents deserve transparency. Schools deserve clarity. Families deserve a voice. As this debate moves forward, those principles must remain at the heart of any future reforms.”
