MINISTER FOR EDUCATION Norma Foley has said that the depiction of an Irish family in an SPHE textbook that has now been pulled from the Junior Cycle curriculum is “not the depiction we would want”.
The book, Health and Wellbeing, garnered significant criticism last week after the activity in question was shared online.
Edco, the publisher of the book, has since apologised for the depiction. They said it used exaggeration and hyperbole “to convey the nature and effects of inclusion and bias” and confirmed that the activity had been replaced.
In the exercise showing two families, one family is a ‘stereotypically Irish family’ that doesn’t interact with anyone or anything not from Ireland. The illustration shows them wearing woolen jumpers and living in a thatched cottage.
The text says they only play traditionally Irish musical instruments and sports, but “no foreign games”. It also says they believe that mixing with other religions or cultures “would be a bad influence”.
In contrast, the second family says they “love change and difference”. They eat curry, pizza and Asian food and go on camping holidays in Europe. A son in the family is a volunteer with the Red Cross in Syria and the daughter studied abroad in France.
Speaking at the launch of new Senior Cycle subjects, Foley told The Journal: “I don’t think that the depiction that was offered there would be the depiction of choice, absolutely not.
“But I do want to give credit where it is due that the publishers have stepped forward, they’ve recognised that this was not as it should be, they’ve apologised and they’re withdrawing it,” she said.
The Minister said she had not seen the book but reiterated that the presentation inside was “not the type of presentation we would want”.
She said that in the world in which we live, “we want to show the greatest of diversity”.
“In all of our schools, we promote inclusion and opportunity and equality, and we need that to be reflected elsewhere as well. So where it’s not right, they stepped forward, they’ve apologised, it’s withdrawn, and I think we move on now.”
She added that all schools have the autonomy to choose a textbook from the curriculum and how it should be implemented is their choice.
“By and large in this instance, as I say, the publisher has acknowledged that this was not as it should have been.”
The Minister was launching two new Leaving Cert subjects: Drama Film and Theatre Studies and Climate Action and Sustainable Development.
These new subjects will be introduced into schools next year, for fifth year students starting the 2025/2026 school year.
The subjects will initially be offered to 100 schools and the selected schools have yet to be announced.
Foley said it was a “very tangible example to people of our great vision for senior cycle reform, where not everything will depend on a performance in one moment in June”, adding that students will have a practical dimension alongside their written exams.
When asked if schools had the resources to be able to teach these new subjects, Foley said the Department was “blown away” by the “qualifications, enthusiasm and interest” of the teachers in the schools that have applied to offer the subjects.
“There has been no shortage of staff willing to step forward here.”
She said the Department will be rolling out the training courses that are required to teach the new subjects in advance of September next year.
She also said that any equipment needed will be available to all schools so that they have £a level playing field”.
“We’re also ensuring that there are additional allocations going into the schools in terms of additional hours. We’ve made available four hours in the first year, eight hours in the second year, so we are covering our bases. We really, really want this to work.”
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