Stormont backs call for more consistent sex education in every school

The Northern Ireland Assembly has voted to endorse an Education Committee report calling for relationships and sexuality education (RSE) to be delivered more consistently across all schools.

The motion, proposed by the committee’s chair, Nick Mathison of Alliance, was passed on Monday 2 November by 46 votes to 28, according to the division record. Sinn Féin, Alliance, the SDLP and People Before Profit voted for it. The DUP, the UUP and the TUV voted against.

The motion calls on the Education Minister to bring forward proposals to strengthen the delivery, consistency and oversight of RSE, informed by consultation with parents, teachers and young people.

Parents’ right of withdrawal

The committee’s report, published in July, recommended as a priority that there should be “no right of withdrawal” from any part of RSE directly concerned with safeguarding children from sexual abuse and exploitation, the Assembly said. It also called for RSE in Northern Ireland to align more closely with UK and international standards and for a minimum content specification for schools.

Mr Mathison said at the time that provision was “too inconsistent” and sometimes failed to meet children’s needs.

At present schools in Northern Ireland, including Catholic and other church schools, can teach RSE in line with their ethos, and parents can withdraw their children. Humanists UK, which welcomed Monday’s vote, said it moved Northern Ireland a step closer to RSE being made consistent across all schools.

The Minister’s view

The Education Minister, Paul Givan of the DUP, has previously opposed a standardised approach. When the Assembly debated a similar motion in 2024 he said that “standardisation would therefore involve the Minister imposing a contentious approach on every school and child”, the Christian Institute reported.

Assembly motions are not binding on ministers, but any change to RSE would need proposals from the Department of Education.