Social, Personal & Health Education (SPHE) Department

The world in which we live presents young people with many opportunities and challenges that affect their health and well-being. As a society it is important to support young people in a holistic manner to develop high self-esteem and a sense of security to ensure they are better able to meet these challenges and opportunities. To this end The World Health Organisation is unquestioning of the role of schools and states that 'an effective school health programme can be one of the most cost effective investments a nation can make to simultaneously improve education and health'.

The Education Act, 1998, places a responsibility on schools to 'promote moral, spiritual, social and personal development of students and provide health education for them'. The SPHE Curriculum Guidelines for teachers advises that a 'young person who has a high degree of self-worth, a sense of security and a positive self image will be more pre-disposed to school life and the variety of learning situations it offers'.

Shared believe in the importance of school as a setting for promoting health while enhancing educational attainment brought the Departments of Health and Children and Education and Science together in 2000 to establish the Social, Personal and Health Education Support Service. By introducing Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) schools are providing students with a unique opportunity to develop the skills and competence to learn about themselves, to care for themselves and others and to make informed decisions about their health, personal lives, and social development. Building on the aims of SPHE in the primary school, at post-primary level SPHE aims

• to enable the students to develop skills for self-fulfilment and living in communities
• to promote self-esteem and self-confidence
• to enable the students to develop a framework for responsible decision-making
• to provide opportunities for reflection and discussion
• to promote physical, mental and emotional health and well-being

Introduction of SPHE (Junior Cycle Curriculum)

In April 2000 the Department of Education & Science, (DES) issued a circular to Post Primary schools (M22/00) giving approval of the Social, Personal & Health Education (SPHE) Junior Cycle curriculum prepared by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA)

SPHE provides students with an opportunity to develop the skills and competence to learn about themselves, to care for themselves and others, and to make informed decisions about their health, personal lives and social development. Its broad aims are to enable students to:

• Develop personal and social skills
• Promote self-esteem and self confidence
• Develop a framework for responsible decision-making
• Provide opportunities for reflection and discussion
• Promote physical, mental and emotional health and well-being

Many aspects of contemporary life - such as substance misuse, the sexualisation of young people, pressures on family, self-harm, bullying, risk-taking, stress and suicide - point to the need for inclusion of a well-developed SPHE school programme, addressed through the curriculum in an age- and language- appropriate way.

The SPHE curriculum is spiral in nature, and is presented in ten modules, revisited year by year and growing in depth and relevance each time. Modules are

• Belonging and Integration
• Self Management
• Communication Skills
• Physical Health
• Friendship
• Emotional Health
• Relationships and Sexuality
• Influences and Decision Making
• Substance Use
• Personal Safety