In an apparent climbdown by education authorities, the final published version of the Leaving Cert SPHE curriculum no longer includes the controversial references to ‘white Irish privilege’ that were present in an earlier draft, Gript can reveal.
In July of 2023, Ireland’s official national curriculum body, the NCCA, published a draft specification for the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum, and then opened a public consultation asking “stakeholders”, such as parents and teachers, to weigh in with their thoughts.
This document featured a number of proposed “learning outcomes”, including encouraging students to develop “allyship skills” by having them “recognise” their “privileged status” as a white person, a male, or an Irish person.
“Allyship involves recognising and using one’s privileged status (for example as white or male or Irish person) to support individuals from minority identity groups,” the draft document read.
The new draft SPHE curriculum urges children to recognise their “privileged status” as a “white, male or Irish person,” & tells them to seek positive portrayals of “LGBTQI+” gender identities in media. @Ben_Scallan reports:#gripthttps://t.co/zICxfS2UjR
— gript (@griptmedia) July 12, 2023
However, the newly-released SPHE specification document, published in its finalised form by the Department of Education, contains no references to “privilege”, white Irish or otherwise, or to “allyship”, with the contentious section being removed entirely. This came after significant controversy around the proposal.
Previously, when asked by Gript about the proposal, Education Minister Norma Foley had insisted that it was only “a draft”, and that the intent of the “privilege” reference was merely was to encourage students to look out for others who may be less well off than themselves.
WHITE IRISH PRIVILEGE: Education Minister Norma Foley is asked about the new draft SPHE curriculum, which urges students to recognise their “privileged status” as a white person, a male, or an Irish person.
— gript (@griptmedia) October 16, 2023
Question by @Ben_Scallan.#gript pic.twitter.com/07nDh1XsRS
A similar defence was made by the head of the NCCA, Arlene Forster, who emphasised to Gript that the draft was open to public consultation, and that the public’s feedback would be taken into account in the creation of the final curriculum, which had not yet been set in stone.
"I would emphasise the fact that it was a draft": Arlene Forster, the head of Ireland's national curriculum body, defends a proposal which would teach white Irish and male students that they have a "privileged status." Question by @Ben_Scallan.#gript pic.twitter.com/gggH7hnC04
— gript (@griptmedia) December 13, 2023
Notably, the draft specification wasn’t the first instance where the NCCA has made recommendations regarding “white privilege.”
Gript previously reported that the organisation encouraged teachers to conduct classroom activities that involved dividing children based on class and racial “privilege”, linking to a website that emphasises the importance of “learning from the history of whiteness and racism.”
Ireland’s curriculum body advised teachers to hold classroom exercises dividing children along class & racial lines, based on questions about ones’ race, household income, whether they were sexually abused by a family member, & more.#gripthttps://t.co/VH0UWbhkrr
— gript (@griptmedia) August 8, 2022
“White privilege” – the notion that white people have inherent advantages purely by virtue of being white – is a topic which has been discussed at length by Irish politicians and state agencies in recent years, and has increasingly risen to prominence as a topic of discussion.
"During [Ireland's] oppression, we still maintained our invisibility cloak of white privilege."
— gript (@griptmedia) November 29, 2023
Irish politicians discuss "white privilege" and the need for racial quotas, with one recalling the "very dull, white, pasty Ireland" that he grew up in before mass migration.#gript pic.twitter.com/0FT3g8ywMP
Green Party Minister for Charities Joe O’Brien recently defended his government funding NGOs that discuss “white privilege” with taxpayer money, denying that this was a racist idea, and insisting that it is a “relevant concept” in Ireland.
"I don't think white privilege is a racist concept": Irish Minister Joe O'Brien defends his government funding NGOs that discuss "white privilege" - the idea that all whites have an advantage in life due to their skin colour. He said that this is a "relevant concept" in Ireland. pic.twitter.com/2EYvJ2noUN
— gript (@griptmedia) July 2, 2024