Primary school students at a school in Dublin have been shown a booklet claiming that they can identify as “a boy, a girl, neither or both,” Gript can reveal.
In an email seen by this publication, Ballinteer Educate Together National School in Dublin has sent out a notice relating to “sensitive” lessons for sixth class students aged 11 to 12-years old. This email includes a link to the HSE’s Busy Bodies booklet.
“This is a reminder that the RSE ‘sensitive’ lessons will be taught in school between the 17th and 28th of April,” the email reads.
“We will be sending home a hard copy of the ‘Busy Bodies’ booklet for you to review and discuss with your child…Please take some time to review the content of this programme.”
The Busy Bodies cartoon booklet, which was last updated in 2020, is listed on the HSE’s website under the heading “Relationships and Sexuality Education Resources for Primary School Teachers.” The HSE says that the document is aimed at primary school children aged between 8-years-old and up.
“Busy Bodies is a useful resource to help support both teachers and parents in providing information on puberty to children aged approximately between 8 and 12,” the HSE’s description says, with a link to the booklet included.
Under the heading of “Gender Identity”, the book declares that “we all have a gender identity.”
“Gender Identity is how we think of ourselves as a boy, a girl, neither or both,” the document reads.
“Traditionally, our society has put everyone into two gender categories – boys (men) and girls (women).”
The HSE adds: “When people have strong ideas about how boys and girls should behave based on their gender, this is called gender stereotyping. This can upset people and can prevent them from behaving in the way they want to.”
The document then goes on to encourage children to “explore their gender identity.”
“A small number of people may not feel that what they are called at birth (boy or girl) really fits them and may want to explore their gender identity to find out what is right for them,” the booklet claims.
“If a person has a deep sense that their gender identity is different from the gender they were given at birth, they may describe themselves as transgender.”
It then adds that “transgender” people “may want to live their lives as boys, some as girls, some somewhere in between and some as no gender at all.”
There has been significant controversy in recent weeks over RSE content made available to children, with the highly contentious book “This Book Is Gay” by Juno Dawson being removed from a Children’s Books Ireland reading list.
Juno Dawson's young adult non-fiction book This Book is Gay has been removed by Children's Books Ireland from their Pride Reading Guide | @imashacosta reports https://t.co/TY8tWVfM99
— Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) April 6, 2023
The book, which was recommended for children aged 15 and older, contained explicit tutorials on how to perform oral and anal sex, and describes viewing pornography as “fine and fun.”
“P*rn is fine and fun”: Is this the most inappropriate book in Irish schools? | Gript
Additionally, the HSE removed the book from a reading list for teachers “to reflect the updated SPHE curriculum and will be re-published shortly.”
Last month both Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tánaiste Micheál Martin endorsed the inclusion of “transgender identity” in the new primary school curriculum.
Taoiseach and Tanaiste back inclusion of transgender identity in primary school curriculum https://t.co/QjcK1BgzSY
— The Irish Times (@IrishTimes) March 6, 2023
Gript previously asked Education Minister Norma Foley about some of the sexual content available for school children, in a clip which can be viewed below.
"Encouraging young boys to wear lipstick and girls' clothes": Education Minister Norma Foley questioned on the radical materials recommended for Irish schools, which promote cross-dressing & gender ideology to primary school students.#gript pic.twitter.com/9n9LgczNLL
— gript (@griptmedia) February 22, 2023
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