The publishers of a SPHE handbook containing a controversial lesson which has been described as “sneering” and “discriminatory” for portraying a traditional Irish family as narrow-minded bigots, have said the activity will be replaced, and apologised for the “upset and anger” caused.
In a statement, the book’s publishers, EdCo, said the activity will now be replaced and apologised for the hurt it caused, saying that they now appreciated their approach should have been different, and accepted it had caused “hurt and anger”.
Parents, teachers, TDs and Senators had slammed the SPHE handbook, which students had been given in schools, featuring an “anti-Irish” classroom exercise depicting Irish families who played GAA, enjoyed Irish music and dancing, and owned a family business, as “bigoted” and “racist”. Politicians across the political spectrum had called for it to be withdrawn.
Critics noted that, in addition to the sneering portrayal, an abundance of negative language was used to describe the traditional family, Family A – in sharp contrast to the more diverse family, Family B. Students, typically 12 or 13 in first year of secondary school, were asked as part of the lesson to decide which family was more inclusive, and then to decide which family they would chose to belong to.
Edco said that: “By means of background and context, the main function of this Activity (‘Looking at Difference’) is designed to help students understand the importance of diversity in our lives, to introduce students to the Equal Status Acts & to highlight the types of discrimination they cover”.
“Following the students’ introduction to the Equal Status Acts, the activity uses exaggeration and hyperbole to convey the nature and effects of inclusion and bias. On closer inspection, we now appreciate that our approach should have been different and accept that it has caused upset and anger, even though this was not our intention”.
“We have taken the decision to replace this activity and we apologise for any hurt caused,” they added.
Independent TD, Carol Nolan, who had received complaints from parents in her constituency regarding the lesson, said that the decision to withdraw the activity from the SPHE book was “a victory for parents and commonsense”.
“We will no longer tolerate our identity and culture being the source of ridicule and scorn by an ill-informed and malicious progressivism,” the Offaly TD said.
“Why did it take parental fury to wake these publishers and authors up, to see the ideological bitterness and resentment at the heart of this exercise. I am delighted that our children will not be exposed to this insidious material and its creeping malevolence that has rightly ignited a backlash,” she added.
She was one of several TDs and other political representatives who called on the Minister for Education to make a statement on the matter and to explain how the book came to be approved and distributed to schools.
Tipperary TD, Mattie McGrath, said that he welcomed the apology and said that parents needed reassurance that the “prejudiced” and “discriminatory” SPHE lesson would be immediately withdrawn from all schools.”
“I have written to the Education Minister, urging the immediate withdrawal of this book and calling for a thorough investigation into how it was approved for classroom use,” he said.
“A family can love traditional music, the GAA, and the kind of Irish food many of us cherish without this implying some kind of narrow-minded insularity that prevents an appreciation or even an embrace of the good things in other cultures.”
“I am demanding answers on how this material was included in the textbooks; material that is as disconnected from the reality of what parents want their children to learn as it is possible to get.”
“The Fleadh Cheoil, attended by 600,000 people, is a prestigious, family-friendly festival showcasing immense talent. Yet, the book portrays its fans as bigots, which is appalling and unacceptable,” he said.
Despite the apology from Edco, Aontú Councillor Helen Duignan, said that the Minister for Education Norma Foley, had questions to answer.
“Answers are still required from the minster and her department as to how this content was approved and assurances are sought that this type of Irish cultural stereotyping will not appear in our children’s books in the future,” she said.
Carol Nolan had previously slammed the SPHE book for “lampooning” the typical traditional Irish family “as insular, angry, petty – and let’s be honest here – xenophobic and racist while the contrasting family in the presentation is apparently filled with outward looking insight, tolerance, and intelligence.”
“It is almost inconceivable how this trash made its way into a Junior Cycle textbook,” the Laois Offaly TD said.
“The (not-so-subtle) messaging here is that any preference for your own culture’s music and sport, for example, is now being depicted a marker for racism. This is extremely dangerous territory.”
“A family can love traditional music, the GAA and indeed the kind of Irish food many of us do love without this involving some kind of brain-dead insularity that prevents an assessment or even an embrace of the good things inherent in other cultures,” the Independent TD said this week.