Parents in Cork want objective sex education, not the Catholic Flourish course

A group of parents in Cork are organising to challenge the Catholic Bishops sex education course ‘Flourish’ in their children’s Primary schools.

The Catholic Bishops plan to teach their new course alongside syllabus Social, Personal and Health education in schools.

The parents say:

“We’re a group of concerned parents in Cork city and county and are not affiliated with any organization/ political party. We are deeply upset about the potential and lasting impact the Flourish programme may have on our children’s wellbeing.

Please joinus in contacting TDs, School principals and local media to voice concerns about the Flourish programme. Please also sign and share our petition to Minister Norma Foley regarding the implementation of the Objective Education bill.

Please sign our Petition here for Norma Foley to Guarantee factual and objective Relationships and Sexuality Education in Irish schools.”

The parents also say:

“Young people, teachers and parents are faced with an education system that puts the ethos of schools, largely religious, ahead of the needs of young people.

While the Department requires that topics such as contraception, LGBTQ and STIs are covered in Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE), there is no requirement for this to be done in a factual and objective manner.

The Objective Education Bill would:

• Remove religious ethos from RSE
• Ensure the curriculum covers all sexualities and genders as well as contraception and options for crisis pregnancy; and is taught in a factual and objective way.

It has been stalled in the Dáil since 2018. It needs to progress urgently.

Right now, The Irish Bishops Conference has created a new RSE programme, called Flourish, that intertwines Catholic beliefs into every aspect of the programme. This is to be rolled out in primary schools under the patronage of the Catholic church.

This is not inclusive. 90% of primary schools are under the Catholic ethos, but a significant number of children attending those schools are non-Catholic.

Sign the petition to demand:
1. Enacting of the Objective Education Bill.
2. Preventing the Flourish programme being the default for Relationships & Sexuality education.”