Polasaí Oideachais Chaidrimh agus Gnéasachta / Relationship and Sexuality Education Policy

Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn – Fealsúnacht Oideachais

“Is í aidhm ghinearálta an oideachais ná gnéithe uile an duine aonair a chothú, ag cur na ngnéithe aestéitiúla, cruthaitheacha, criticiúla, cultúrtha, mothúchánacha, intleachtúla, morálta, fisiciúla, polaitiúla, sóisialta agus forbairt spioradálta don saol pearsanta teaghlaigh, don saol oibre, don saol sa phobal agus don fhóillíocht san áireamh.”

Curaclam & Measúnacht i dTreo na Nua-Aoise.

Bíonn tionchar gníomhach ag Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn ar ghnéithe uile fáis agus forbartha na ndaltaí a fhreastalaíonn uirthi. Baineann an tionchar úd le timpeallacht agus le hatmaisféar na scoile, lena curaclam agus lena hidirchaidreamh leis an bpobal. Is é cur chun cinn Oideachais Shóisialta, Phearsanta agus Sláinte (OSPS) a cuid daltaí, ceann de phríomhaidhmeanna Ghaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn. Soláthraíonn an scoil deiseanna do dhaltaí scileanna bunúsacha pearsanta agus sóisialta a fhoghlaim, a chothaíonn ionracas, féinmhuinín agus féinmheas fad is a chomhchothaíonn sé íogaireacht maidir le cearta agus mothúcháin daoine eile. Tá tionchar ag atmaisféar Ghaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn ar chomhlíonadh na gcuspóirí úd do na daltaí ar fad, tríd a córas riaracháin agus a modhanna múinte, tríd an gcur chuige a chleachtaítear i leith daltaí le deacrachtaí pearsanta agus trí na luachanna spioradálta agus oideachasúla ar bhonn níos fairsinge a sheachadaíonn an scoil.

Tá cur chun cinn Oideachais Shóisialta, Phearsanta agus Sláinte na ndaltaí le linn a dtréimhse i nGaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn mar chuid chomhtháite de pholasaí oideachasúil na scoile. Dá bharr sin, is sa chomhthéacs sin atá OSPS a bhfuil Oideachas Caidrimh agus Gnéasachta (OCG) ionchollaithe ann, mar chuid de churaclam na scoile seo.

Réasúnaíocht as Oideachas Caidrimh agus Gnéasachta a chuimsiú i gcuraclam na scoile seo

Aontaítear go forleathan i sochaí na tíre seo go bhfuil gá le hOideachas Caidrimh agus Gnéasachta sa chóras foirmiúil oideachais. Tá fógartha go poiblí ag grúpaí oideachais, an Chomhairle Náisiúnta Curaclaim agus Measúnachta, ceardchumainn mhúinteoirí agus eagrais náisiúnta tuismitheoirí ina measc, go bhfuil géarghá le clár éifeachtach dea-bhunaithe OCG. Luann samplaí ó thaighde agus ó bhreathnóireacht choitianta na pointí seo a leanas:

Páistí ag aibiú níos luaithe
Daoine óga a bheith gníomhach i ngníomhaíocht ghnéasach agus iad níos óige
Na comhthéacsanna neamhfhoirmiúla agus gan stiúir, ina dtagann daoine óga ar eolas faoi ghnéasacht
An claochló atá tagtha ar rólanna fear agus ban sa tsochaí
Ceisteanna sláinte a bhaineann le cleachtas gnéis
Feasacht daoine óga ar nósanna éagsúla chleachtas gnéis agus tionchair thraschultúrtha ag méadú trí thaisteal, tríd na meáin agus tríd an réablóid chumarsáide
Brú ar shaol an teaghlaigh

Sainmhíniú na scoile ar Oideachas Caidrimh agus Gnéasachta

Baineann OCG le próiseas fadsaoil ag cnuasach eolais agus tuisceana agus ag cothú dearcthaí, creidiúintí agus luachanna maidir le feiniúlacht ghnéasachta, caidrimh agus dlúthchaidreamh. I dtacrú scoile is cuid bhunúsach é d’fhoráil ghinearálta oideachais a dhíríonn ar fhorbairt iomlán an duine a chur chun cinn agus a chomhtháthaíonn gnéasacht le tuiscint phearsanta, fás agus forbairt. Tá Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn freagrach as an bpolasaí OCG a chur ar fáil do pháistí.

Aidhmeanna Oideachas Caidrimh agus Gnéasachta

Is iad seo a leannas na haidhmeanna a bhaineann le OCG i nGaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn:

cur le forbairt phearsanta, féinmheas agus leas an pháiste;
cabhrú leis an bpáiste caidrimh agus cairdis shláintiúla a chothú;
tuiscint agus dearcadh sláintiúil maidir le gnéasacht dhaonna agus le caidrimh a chothú laistigh de fhráma tagartha atá morálta agus sóisialta;
a chur ar chumas an pháiste tuiscint agus meas a bheith aige ar an ngrá daonna, ar chaidreamh collaí agus ar shíolrú;
iontas agus uamhan a fhorbairt agus a chur chun cinn sa pháiste maidir le breith agus le nuashaol;
a chur ar chumas an pháiste a bheith compordach lena ghnéasacht phearsanta féin agus le gnéasacht dhaoine eile agus é ag fás aníos agus ag forbairt.

Bainistíocht agus Eagrú OCG i nGaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn

Tá an OSPS mar chuid lárnach de churaclam na scoile. Is siollabas bíseach é an siollabas seo a leathnaítear gach bliain sa tslí ina dtéitear siar ar chuid de na príomhthopaicí, agus cíortar ansin iad ar bhonn níos doimhne, de réir mar a oireann d’aois agus do staid forbartha na ndaltaí. Beidh caidrimh lárnach sa chlár seo agus pléifear le hOideachas Gnéasachta laistigh den chomhthéacs seo.

Beidh baint ag OCG le hábhair churaclaim éagsúla. Déanfaidh foireann Ghaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn gach iarracht an clár OCG a sheachadadh ar mhodh iomlánaíoch, ach beidh gá áfach, go múinfí cuid den chlár as féin ar feadh tréimhse naoi seachtaine le linn ceann de na trí thréimhse, ar mhaithe le cúrsaí eagrúcháin. Beidh an siollabas bunaithe ar an gClár “Oideachas Caidrimh agus Gnéasachta” ón Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta. Tá sé tábhachtach a thabhairt faoi deara go bhfuil gnéithe áirithe den siollabas íogarach, go háirithe cuid den siollabas atá dírithe ar Ranganna Naíonáin Mhóra, 2, 4 agus 6 agus go n-aithníonn bainistíocht Ghaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn é seo. Ar an ábhar sin ní theastaíonn ó bhainistíocht Ghaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn brú d’aon saghas a chur ar na múinteoirí ranga a mbaineann sé leo ábhar seo an chláir a mhúineadh, muna mbíonn siad ar a gcompord ina thaobh. Muna bhfuil múinteoir ar a c(h)ompord maidir leis an gclár a theagasc agus é sin curtha in iúl don bhord, tá beartaithe ag an mbord go mbeidh an príomhoide in ann áit an mhúinteora ranga a ghlacadh agus an clár a mhúineadh

Beidh na modhanna múinte don mhodúl Caidrimh agus Gnéasachta bunaithe ar phrionsabail aitheanta teagaisc mar a úsáidtear in OSPS agus i gcodanna eile den churaclam. Beidh na modhanna úd in oiriúint d’aois agus do staid forbartha an pháiste. Agus an timpeallacht foghlama á cothú ag an múinteoir beidh sé/sí ar a d(h)ícheall chun atmaisféar a chothú a léiríonn meas ar phríobháideachas gach aon dalta agus a phléann le gach dalta aonair le híogaireacht agus le cúram. Braithfidh a dhoimhne agus a rachfar i ngleic leis an ábhar ar aibíocht intleachtúil agus mhothúchánach na leanaí. Glacfar mar sin le solúbthacht. Is é an múinteoir ranga is mó a shamhlófaí a bheadh freagrach as cur i bhfeidhm na gné scoilbhunaithe den chlár. Is féidir leis an múinteoir cuid den chur chuige seo a leanas nó é a úsáid ina iomláine, chun cur le cumas an pháiste páirt ghníomhach a ghlacadh sa phróiseas foghlama:

Plé
Rólimirt
Ag cur agallaimh ar chairde nó ar dhaltaí scoile eile nó ar bhaill teaghlaigh
Suirbhéanna ar dhearcthaí
Ag déanamh anailíse agus meastóireachta ar nuachtáin, ar cholúin chrá croí, ar theilifíseán
A bheith mar aoi do chuairteoirí
Tionscadail
Ag dearadh fograí agus ag scríobh fortheideal
Ag déanamh cur síos ar ghrianghraif
Ag féachaint ar fhíseáin agus á bplé.

Téann gnéasacht i bhfeidhm ar chaidrimh agus ar chaighdeán idirchaidreamh sóisialta. Cuirfidh an cur chuige d’OCG an tuiscint sin ar ghnéasacht san áireamh agus an scoil ag plé le páistí le riachtanais speisialta. Soláthraíonn OCG deiseanna do gach páiste glacadh lena chéile agus dínit an duine daonna a aithint agus a chur chun cinn. Sa chás áfach go mbeadh deacrachtaí móra foghlama i gceist d’fhéadfaí athruithe a dhéanamh ar an gclár chun é a chur in oiriúint do chumas agus do rátaí éagsúla fáis fhisiciúil. Cuirfidh sé seo ar chumas an pháiste plé lena ghnéasacht atá ag teacht chun cinn ann féin agus ar na himpleachtaí a bhaineann leis sin agus é ag fás agus ag forbairt Is féidir le Foireann an Oideachais Speisialta ról fíorthábhachtach a ghlacadh i seachadadh an chláir do pháistí le riachtanais speisialta agus is minic go mbaintear leas as múinteoireacht foirne ina leithéid de chomhthéacs.

Tá sealbhú teanga ríthábhachtach chun na páistí a chumasú chun cumarsáid a dhéanamh go muiníneach, futhu féin, faoina ngnéasacht agus faoina gcaidrimh. Sa chomhthéacs seo ní chuirfear píonós ar leanaí Béarla a úsáid le linn na gceachtanna OCG más amhlaidh nach mbíonn dóthain Gaeilge chuí ag an bpáiste chun é féin a chur in iúl ar an ábhar ‘as Gaeilge’. Agus foclóir cuí á shealbhú ag an bpáiste maidir le gnéasacht, fás aníos, athruithe fisiciúla, mothúcháin agus araile, tagann an páiste ar mheán inar féidir na ceisteanna úd a phlé. Bainfear leas as na téarmaí cuí chun cur síos a dhéanamh ar na baill bheatha agus as feidhmeanna na mball beatha sna blianta tosaigh chun stádas agus inghlacthacht a bhronnadh ar na téarmaí úd. Sa tslí sin laghdófar ar chúthail agus náire agus rachaidh na leanaí i dtaithí ar an bhfoclóír agus ar bhrí na bhfocal úd. Tá sé fíorthábhachtach teanga atá inghlactha go sóisialta agus nach bhfuil débhríoch a bheith i réim in OCG toisc gur ábhar é atá tar éis a bheith i ngleic le míthuiscint, míshuaimhneas agus imní le fada an lá.

Ról na dTuismitheoirí

Is iad na tuismitheoirí/caomhnóirí na príomhoideachasóirí agus is é baile an pháiste an timpeallacht nádúrtha inar chóir don OCG tarlúint. Tá ról ag an scoil tacaíocht a thabhairt agus cur le hobair an bhaile sa tasc seo. Tá tuismitheoirí / caomhnóirí freagrach as a bheith páirteach, chun iad féin a chur ar an eolas ar ábhar an chláir, a gcuid páistí a ullmhú le haghaidh an t-eolas a bhaineann le réimsí atá folaithe a thuiscint chomh maith le réimsí OCG/OSPS a phlé lena gcuid páistí.

Tá ról na dtuismitheoirí sa bhaile fíorthábhachtach i dtimpeallacht foghlama an pháiste a mhúnlú trí dhearcadh dearfach i leith OCG a chur chun cinn, trí fhéinmhuinín a mhealladh agus a chothú agus trí theagasc díreach atá in oiriúint d’aois agus do riachtanais foghlama an pháiste. Tá tuismitheoirí curtha ar an eolas roimh ré, maidir leis na ceachtanna a bhaineann ach go háirithe le limistéir íogair an chláir, mar shampla, caithreachas a bheidh clúdaithe sa scoil. Má tá físeáin in úsáid chun cur le múineadh an OCG sa scoil, beidh deis tugtha do thuismitheoirí/chaomhnóirí féachaint ar ábhar an fhíseáin chomh maith. Tá fáilte roimh thuismitheoirí / chaomhnóirí clár an OCG a phlé le leis an múinteoir ranga agus / nó príomhoide. Tá Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn tiomanta do thacú le hiarrachtaí tuismitheoirí / caomhnóirí deiseanna oideachais a chur ar fáil do thuismitheoirí / caomhnóirí eile.

Is gnách go lorgaíonn tuismitheoirí tacaíocht ón scoil chun cabhrú leo sa ghné seo d’fhorbairt a bpáistí. Sa chás áfach nach mian le tuismitheoir, ar bhonn coinsiasa nó morálta go mbeadh cuimsiú á dhéanamh ar an gclár mar chuid den churaclam dá pháiste, thabharfaí aitheantas do chearta an tuismitheora.

Más mian le tuismitheoir / caomhnóir a leanbh a tharraingt siar ó rang OCG foirmiúil tá sé de dhualgais ar an tuismitheoir / caomhnóir an cás a phlé leis an múinteoir ranga ar dtús agus leis an bpríomhoide. Ní foláir dóibh é seo a chur i scríbhinn don phríomhoide chomh maith.

Tacaíocht, Forbairt & Athbhreithniú

Is gá a thabhairt faoi deara nach tuairisc chríochnúil atá sa pholasaí seo; próiseas leanúnach a bheidh ann i gcónaí. (Athbhreithniú is deanaí Meán Fómhair 2014) Tá géarghá le hoiliúint.

Tugann Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn tacaíocht d’fhorbairt chláir chun múinteoirí a chumasú chun an t-eolas, an tuiscint agus na scileanna atá riachtanach chun an clár a mhúineadh a bhaint amach agus chun an próiseas comhairleach a bhainistiú le tuismitheoirí agus le daoine eile nach iad. Tacaítear le traenáil a chur ar thuismitheoirí agus ar chumainn tuismitheoirí chomh maith.

Cruthaíodh polasaí an OCG tar éis próisis chomhairligh i measc phobal na scoile. Tá comhoibriú agus dea-mhéin phobal uile na scoile riachtanach má tá rath chun a bheith ar an OCG i nGaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn.

Cuirfear cóip den pholasaí OCG seo comhaontaithe a chur ar fáil do gach tuismitheoir /caomhnór.

Dhein Bord Bainistíochta na scoile athbhreithniú ar an bpolasaí seo ar 21 Meitheamh 2012. Déanfaidh pobal na scoile i gcomhpháirt le Bord Bainistíochta Ghaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn athbhreithniú ar an bpolasaí seo le linn na bliana acadúla 2018/201.

Glactha ag Bord Bainistíochta Ghaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn ag cruinniú an bhoird ar 21 Meitheamh 2012.

Cliceáil anseo chun PDF don cáipéis seo a íoslódáil.

Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn Educational Philosophy

“The general aim of education is to contribute towards the development of all aspects of the individual, including the aesthetic, creative, critical, cultural, emotional, intellectual, moral, physical, political, social and spiritual development for personal family life, for working life, for living in the community and for leisure”.

Curriculum & Assessment Towards the New Century

Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn actively influences all aspects of the growth and development of their pupils. This influence includes the school’s environment and climate, its curriculum and its interaction with the community. The promotion of Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) of pupils is one of Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn’s core aims. The school provides opportunities for pupils to learn basic personal and social skills, which foster integrity, self-confidence and self-esteem while nurturing sensitivity to the rights and feelings of others.

The attainment of these objectives for all pupils is influenced by Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn’s school climate, by its organisation and teaching methods, by the school’s approach to pupils’ personal difficulties, and by the wider education and spiritual values transmitted by the school.

The promotion of the social, personal and health education of pupils throughout their time in Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn is an integrated part of the school’s educational policy. Therefore, it is in this context that SPHE, encompassing Relationship & Sexuality Education (RSE) is included as part of our curriculum.

There is broad agreement in Irish society on the need for Relationships and Sexuality Education in the formal education system. Educational groups, including the NCCA, teacher unions and national parent representative bodies have publicly stated the need for a soundly based RSE programme. Examples from research and common observation include:

Earlier physical maturation of children
Evidence of earlier sexual activity
The informal and unsupervised contents within which children acquire information about sexualit
The changing roles of men and women in society
Health issues related to sexual practice
Young people becoming aware through travel, the media and the communications revolution, of different sexual mores and cross-cultural influences
Pressures on family life

Our School’s definition of Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE)

Relationship and Sexuality Education(RSE) is a lifelong process of acquiring knowledge and understanding and of developing attitudes, beliefs and values about sexual identity, relationships and intimacy. In the school setting it is an integral part of general educational provision, which seeks to promote the overall development of the person and which includes the integration of sexuality into personal understanding, growth and development. It is the responsibility of Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn to deliver the RSE programme to students.

Relationship and Sexuality Education: Aims

The RSE programme at Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn has the following aims:

to enhance the personal development, self-esteem and wellbeing of the child;
to help the child to develop healthy friendships and relationships;
to foster an understanding of and a healthy attitude to human sexuality and relationships in a moral and social framework;
to enable the child to acquire an understanding of and a respect for human love, sexual intercourse and reproduction;
to develop and promote in the child a sense of wonder and awe at the process of birth and new life;
to enable the child to be comfortable with the sexuality of oneself and others while growing and developing.

Management and Organisation of RSE

The SPHE programme is a core part of our curriculum. The syllabus is a spiral one, extending in scope each year and revisiting key topics in deeper ways appropriate to the age and stage of development of the pupils. Relationships will be a central part of this programme and Sexuality Education will take place within this context.

RSE will have particular relevance across a number of curricular areas. While the staff of Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn will make every effort to deliver RSE in a holistic manner, it will often be necessary to teach the syllabus in isolation for a period of nine weeks during one of the three terms for organisational purposes. The syllabus will be based on the “Oideachas Caidrimh & Gnéasachta” Programme from the DES. It is important to note that some areas of the syllabus (especially those focused on Senior Infants, 2^nd, 4th and 6th classes) are quite sensitive and the management of Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn recognise this. Therefore it does not place pressure of any type on the class teachers in question to teach this content should they not feel comfortable in doing so. Should a teacher not feel comfortable in doing so and should this information forwarded to the board of management, the board of management has decided that the principal will teach such content instead of the class teacher.

The teaching methods for the relationships and sexuality module will be based on sound pedagogic principles as used in SPHE and in other areas of the curriculum. These methods will be child-centred and appropriate to the age and stage of development of the pupil. In organizing the learning environment the teacher will be careful to create an atmosphere in the classroom which respects the privacy of each individual pupil and to treat all with due sensitivity and care. The extent to which the content is treated will be dependent on the emotional and intellectual maturity of the children. Thus, a degree of flexibility is acceptable. The teacher in his/her professional capacity is ideally the person who can take responsibility for the delivery of the school-based element of the programme. Any or all of the following approaches may be used by the teacher with the aim of enabling the child to play an active part in the learning process;

Discussion
Role play
Interviewing friends, or other school pupils or family members
Surveys of attitudes
Analysing and evaluating newspapers, magazines, agony columns, television
Guest speakers/ facilitators
Projects
Designing advertisements/writing captions
Photographs
Viewing and discussing videos

Sexuality affects friendships and the quality of social interactions. The approach to RSE in the school will take cognizance of this understanding of sexuality when dealing with children with special needs. RSE provides opportunities for all children to learn to accept each other, and to recognise and promote the dignity of each human being. However, where severe learning difficulties occur some adaptions may be made to the programme to suit ability and rates of physical growth. This will enable the child to cope with their emerging sexuality and its consequences as they grow and develop. The Special Education team can play a vital role in the delivery of the programme to pupils with special needs and team-teaching is often used in this context.

The acquisition of appropriate language in RSE is crucially important to enable children to communicate confidently about themselves, their sexuality and their relationships. It is extremely important that proper terminology is used without embarrassment within RSE lessons in school and that the tone of discussions is genuine and respectful.

It is in this context that the staff will not sanction pupils for using the English language during RSE lessons if the child doesn’t seem to have the relevant vocabulary ‘as Gaeilge’ to express themselves. In acquiring an appropriate vocabulary related to sexuality, growing up, physical changes, feelings etc. the child obtains a means with which these issues can be discussed. The use of proper terms for parts of the body and body functions will be encouraged from the earliest age so that these terms will be given a status and acceptability. In this way embarrassment will be reduced and children will become comfortable with these words and their meanings. Having a language which is socially acceptable and unambiguous in RSE is especially important because it has long been an area fraught with misunderstanding, unease and anxiety.

The Role of Parents

Parents/Guardians are the primary educators and home is the natural environment in which RSE should take place. Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn supports and complements the work of the home in this task. Parents/guardians have a responsibility to become involved, to inform themselves of the programme content, to prepare their children for the information they will acquire around the sensitive areas and to discuss areas covered in school in RSE/SPHE with their children.

The role of parents in the home is crucial in forming the child’s learning environment by promoting positive attitudes towards RSE, by encouragement and the fostering of self- esteem and by direct instruction relevant to the child’s age and learning needs. Parents are to be informed in advance of the programme content. Parents are also to be informed in advance, regarding when the formal lessons on the sensitive areas of the programme e.g. puberty, will be covered in school. If a video is to be used to complement the teaching of RSE, parents are to be offered an opportunity to view same. Parents/guardians are welcome to discuss the RSE programme with the class teacher and/or principal. Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn is committed to supporting efforts of parents/guardians to provide educational opportunities for other parents/guardians.

Most parents look to the school for support in fulfilling their obligations to their children in this area of development. However, provision will be made for the rights of parents who hold conscientious or moral objections to the inclusion of such a programme on the curriculum of their child. All children will be included in these classes but in such cases where there are objections it is the parent/ guardian’s duty to first contact the class teacher and the principal and then inform the principal in writing.

Support, Development & Review

It is essential to note that this policy is not a finished product; it shall always be an ongoing process (Last updated January 2017). Training is essential.

Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn supports programme development so as to enable teachers to acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to teach the programme and manage the consultative process with parents and others. Training of parents and parent associations is also supported.

The RSE policy was created after a process of consultation between the school community. The collaboration and goodwill of the whole school community are essential if RSE is to be successful in Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn.

A copy of this agreed RSE policy will be made available to all parents/guardians.

The Board of Management reviewed this policy on 21 June 2012. The school community in conjunction with the Board of Management of Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn shall review this policy again during the 2018/ 2019 academic year.

Glactha ag Bord Bainistíochta Ghaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn ag cruinniú an bhoird ar 21 Meitheamh 2012.

Click here to download a PDF of this policy.