Under Ireland’s new Senior Cycle SPHE curriculum, students will be taught that pornography is dehumanising and degrading, particularly for women, and that it is an “addictive” behaviour.
The new curriculum specification, devised by the Irish State’s National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), will seek to teach students about the dangers of “addiction pathways”, which it describes as “how engaging with addictive substances or behaviours changes the reward pathway of the brain (that releases dopamine) and describes the effects of this over time.”
“In the context of this curriculum, addictive behaviours might include consideration of screentime, gaming, gambling or pornography, while addictive substances might include consideration of alcohol, nicotine or mood-altering drugs,” it adds.
The specification goes on to describe “pornography” as objectifying and dehumanising.
“Dictionary definitions of pornography typically define pornography as writings or depictions of sexual acts for the purpose of creating sexual arousal,” the curriculum reads.
“Such definitions do not adequately describe pornography today which depicts the objectification, dehumanisation, humiliation and degradation of people, mostly women.
“Therefore, within SPHE, much of the discussion of pornography concerns the widespread availability and influence of depictions of sexual activity which portray female subordination and male dominance and within which violence and sexual assault are normalised.”
Moreover, when studying the harms of “abusive and violent relationships”, students should be able to “investigate the possible influence of pornography on attitudes, behaviours and relationship expectations and what supports are available for those impacted by pornography.”
Previously, Education Minister Norma Foley referred to a University of Galway study which showed that a “huge percentage” of children between the ages of 10 and 13 were accessing pornography on their mobile phones, particularly boys.
“There will be no pornographic material taught or shown in our schools, and pornography will not be taught,” she said at the time.
“What will be taught will be respect for yourself, respect for others.”
According to the NCCA, the aim of the overall SPHE course is “to develop the knowledge, understanding, skills, dispositions and values that will empower students to be healthy, resilient, confident, responsible and empathetic young adults; nurture respectful, loving and caring relationships; and prepare for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life now and beyond school.”
The development comes after an earlier controversy regarding sexually explicit content officially recommended in schools.
Previously, the NCCA recommended a reading list called Rainbow Reads, which contained a list of books recommended for various age groups. The NCCA advised that these books should be used in a classroom setting when discussing sex education and the Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) curriculum.
One such book, written by a transgender individual from the UK named Juno Dawson, was entitled “This Book is Gay”, which the reading list described as “a must-have for all school libraries.” because it contained such “useful information.”
The book claims that “porn is fine and fun”, and that “perhaps the most important skill you will master as a gay or bi man is the timeless classic, the hand job. The good news is, you can practice on yourself.” It also includes advice like “as with hand jobs and breakfast eggs, all men like their blow jobs served in different ways” and “it’s about sliding your mouth up and down the shaft of his cock”. It further goes on to give graphic tutorials on how to perform anal sex, adding that “many men, gay or straight, like how this feels.”
The assertion by curriculum authorities that such a book should be contained in school libraries led to significant backlash and controversy among many parents at the time.