No mention of SOGIGESC in the mandatory teacher training programme: 0/10 Mandatory teacher training program with mention of one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10
There is currently no mandatory teacher training on LGBTQI awareness, but university departments of education and individual instructors may choose to include this content in their modules.
In 2023 research “An Exploration of Teachers’ Knowledge and Awareness of Issues and Barriers Encountered in Supporting LGBT+ Students: A Study in a Catholic Secondary School in Ireland”, it is suggested that a lack of LGBTQI knowledge among staff, is attributed to a lack of training. As a country with a predominantly Catholic based school system it is important to note that the findings show mixed perceptions of what is acceptable to discuss and support in a Catholic school.
NGOs in Ireland provide teacher training on an ad-hoc invite basis. ShoutOut provides training for teachers, other school staff, and parents and guardians, and runs workshops on LGBTQI inclusion for learners to around 6,000 students per academic year. ShoutOut also provides teacher support alongside the educational workshops provided to students. This is specific to each environment and is aligned with meeting the needs of the school environment. In 2022, ShoutOut compiled resources for Teachers to use in their school. ShoutOut develops youth-led LGBTQI resources to assist students such as Glórtha Aiteacha \ Queer Voices and Faithfully Queer.
The NGO BeLonG To also provides a teacher training programme that includes information about how teachers can make referrals to BeLonG To’s National Network of LGBTQI youth services. BeLonG To has also started to receive invitations to provide training to professional educational services such as the professional development service for teachers in the national education’s psychological service, and the education welfare service. This not only provides skills, knowledge and confidence-building, but also expands the number of educational professionals who know that learners can be referred to BeLonG To’s youth services.
In 2023, the first cohort of 34 people joined a new postgraduate programme for post-primary teachers teaching Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) and/ or Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE). In 2024, attacks and misinformation were levelled against the Dublin City University Graduate Diploma in Social, Personal and Health Education/Relationships and Sexuality Education. This Diploma, the first of its kind in Ireland, is aimed at primary and post-primary teachers teaching SPHE to support them to deliver the new curriculum and meet students’ learning needs in relationships and sexuality education. Teaching staff on the course have received threats, and materials for adults on the course have been misrepresented as being for children and young people, to incite confusion and outrage over the teaching of the course.
Between March and May 2024, over 400 teachers attended seminars on the new specifications for Junior Cycle SPHE, indicating a growing interest and commitment to implementing the updated curriculum.
