SPHE / My Wellbeing Journey 2 / Latest Edition 2024

Hamsterchops

Just wondering what parents and teachers make of the New Junior Cycle "Wellbeing" My Journey 2 book currently in their kids school lockers!

The book is certainly getting lots of media attention (but for all the wrong reasons), just wondering what others think on how to tackle the situation, specially as the book doesn't come home, and the kids were asked to sign a confidentially page suggesting they don't discuss or talk about the content outide the classroom.

Sounds well dodgy to me, and I don't like what I've read & heard about the controversial contents.

Anyone got an opinion or experience of this book?

selectamatic

Absolutely no knowledge of the programme but I would imagine the "confidentiality" page is to do with not talking to younger students about the course material and not at all a carte blanche don't discuss this anywhere thing.

If I'm correct in my assumption it points to a slight twisting of facts straight off the bat by some of the concerned, which is a shame as maybe there are genuine concerns too.

tabby aspreme

Different versions for Gael Scoil pupils also, with the portrayal of a typical Irish family omitted.

Hamsterchops

apparently the controversial pages include teaching children that they may be born in the wrong body 🤔

It also introduces the concepts of non-binary, sis gender, a-gender, gender queer, transgende, sex "assigned" at birth? and new pronouns for those who have "transitioned" from boy to girl or whatever.

certainly a departure from what went before in the form of human biology.

deirdremf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058368656/sphe-my-wellbeing-journey-2-latest-edition-2024

the kids were asked to sign a confidentially page suggesting they don't discuss or talk about the content outside the classroom

Do you know if this is in a particular school, or across the board? Either way, I'd love to see a copy of what they have been asked to sign. Even if it is all above board, I wonder if there could be legal issues about a child signing something of this nature?

If the book is kept in school and parents don't get to see it, I can see issues arising in years to come, clearly not as serious as the abuse issues currently being discussed, but AFAIR the constitution states that the family is the primary educator, so hiding stuff from parents could be fairly serious in a legal sense. It also reminds me that my brother's school impressed on their pupils that "what goes in school stays in school" which clearly helped create an atmosphere where all sorts of inappropriate things could - and did - happen.

Aideen1234

Please have a read of it yourself, you can view it on the publisher's website: https://www.gilleducation.ie/post-primary/my-wellbeing-journey-2nd-edition just scroll down and click "My Wellbeing Journey 2: Explore More" to view. It's disgraceful - particularly this page - the statement on the first line.

Screenshot_20240929_111304_Chrome.jpg

Erna123

There's a SPHE teacher whistleblower video out there this week . It's horrifying to hear about the content that's part of the curriculum . Waiting to hear from my school about the truth of the matter.

Hamsterchops

Depends what books your school use in SPHE. Apparently some books got through the net before the final draft/wording had been agreed.

Two issues are at play, firstly the new gender identity stuff which is not based on science or biology (as mentioned in post #4) then you have the inappropriate sex material as reported by Carl O'Brien in the Irish Times earlier this month.

Parents are hopping mad, but the problem is, it's on the new curriculum & the schools must abide by it, or at least that's what I'm hearing. The gender ideology stuff is definitely in some of the JC books, not sure about the other content that Carl talks about.

tscul32

I'd say the confidentiality issue is about what's said in class so that students can say stuff without the whole school hearing about it. Not that they won't tell anyone what's in the book. Sure you can just buy one yourself if you want.

iguana

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122688942#Comment_122688942

That doesn't matter. You can't ask kids to be confidential like that. It goes against all safeguarding measures to give children any impression that they shouldn't talk to their families. Asking them to sign anything, unless they are doing it with their parents knowledge, is out and out messed up.

dahayeser

I was always of the opinion you could pull your kid from SPHE and they could do homework in the library of something during it.

Of course there could be blow back on the child, potential to be branded a prude or worse a transphobe by peers. Not a position you want to put a young teen in.

Seems it is not an option anyway SPHE is mandatory for both primary school and for junior cycle! History, Geography, French, Business aren't mandatory but SPHE is! Your child has to attend.

First hand experience speaking to a Cork school about this, they will not let the child sit out SPHE. Here is a link to the minister stating it -

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2021-05-18/459/

I note this addendum -

I also note Section 30.2 (e) of the Education Act 1998 provides that parents have a right to have their children opt out of instruction in any subject contrary to their conscience if they so wish.

However my experience has been schools are not adhering to this. Interpreting it as, you can opt out of an instruction within a subject. Difficult of a kid to walk out on front of their peers when the chapter is changed.

protexblue

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058368656/sphe-my-wellbeing-journey-2-latest-edition-2024

Got the link to the book from a teacher with a view to objecting to the "blind affirmation" model suggested in the gender chapter of the book.

Checked it today and it looks as if the book has been pulled from page 120 (the start of the gender chapter) to end. Perhaps some more editing going on??