THE Department of Education said yesterday that it was "committed to the provision of a support programme for relationships and sexuality education (RSE) at both first and second level". It was responding to a threat by the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland not to co-operate with the controversial programme because of the Department's decision to disband its support unit.
The Department said that an RSE head office in Dublin will be staffed by a co-ordinator and her assistant; a helpline service to schools will be provided as will policy development seminars and parent information/board of management meetings and "the facilitation of some further whole school seminars at post-primary level, as far as resources will allow".
The statement ended: "The Department has committed significant public funding to ...... and is willing to commit further funding in the 1997/98 school year to provide the supports indicated."