To ask the Minister of Education to detail the existing educational programmes which raise awareness of domestic abuse among young people; and whether he plans to introduce further programmes.

The Department supports education and awareness-raising through a number of approaches:

DE funds the Women’s Aid Federation for the delivery of the ‘Helping Hands’ programme which addresses challenging issues for children of personal space, safety, planning, and awareness of acceptable and unacceptable behaviours. It supports the aims and objectives of the Primary Curriculum at Key Stages 1 and 2 and is designed for children aged between 8 and 11. Included within this is ‘Social Guardians’ training for primary teachers, allowing them to deliver and support the ‘Helping Hands’ programme.

The Department also supports schools through the ‘iMatter’ Programme, in promoting resilient emotional health for all pupils by providing advice and support to post-primary aged pupils on issues such as sex abuse, domestic violence and abusive relationships.

My Department is a contributor to the DHSSPS-led draft Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse Strategy Section 2 of the draft contains 4 agreed priorities for Education viz:

Teachers will have the necessary skills to teach about sensitive subjects, including child abuse, domestic and sexual violence.

Teachers will be alert to pupils experiencing distress and trained to respond appropriately.

Teachers will have access to a range of age appropriate and evaluated resources to support the teaching and learning of sensitive subjects and;

Quality assurance arrangements will be established to ensure that the preventative curriculum offered in schools is effective.

These priorities will largely fulfilled by a project that has been commissioned from the NSPCC to develop an ‘effective preventative education programme’ involving a learning package of training, development and support for schools to implement delivery of ‘keeping safe’ messages to all primary school aged children. The project will involve the development, roll-out and evaluation of a comprehensive Continuing Professional Development package of training, development and ongoing support for school leaders, teaching and nonteaching staff, and parents in the primary school sector.