Wednesday’s Top Stories: Sex education to be taught earlier; family of Ann Delaney criticises campaigners seeking to ‘hijack’ death

Sex education to be taught at earlier age under new primary school curriculum

Relationships and sex education will be taught at an earlier stage under a draft new primary school curriculum in recognition that many children start school at an older age and in some cases experience puberty earlier.

The changes are contained in draft specifications for key subject areas which will feature in the new curriculum. This change is regarded as the biggest shake-up to primary education in 25 years.

The wellbeing section of the new curriculum aims to provide children with a “balanced, inclusive, age and developmentally-appropriate understanding of human development and sexuality”.

Top News Stories

• Family of Ann Delaney criticises those seeking to ‘hijack’ death: The family of Ann Delaney has criticised online campaigners for trying to “hijack” her death for political ends.
• New housing plan delayed until population projections updated: The publication of a new National Planning Framework (NPF) that helps inform housing requirements has been delayed until it receives updated population projections.
• Tusla care provider linked to UK service with ‘unsafe practices’: The owner of a company that ran accommodation for children in State care, and was found to have “fabricated” screenings of staff, has links to a UK provider of home care services previously criticised for its “unsafe” recruitment practices.
• CEO pay at commercial State bodies likely to be increased after review: Top level executives in commercial State bodies such as RTÉ seem likely to see their pay boosted following a Government decision to review their remuneration.
• US pushes UN to back Gaza ceasefire to free hostages: The United States on Tuesday revised language in a draft to the UN Security Council resolution to back “an immediate ceasefire of roughly six-weeks in Gaza together with the release of all hostages,” according to the text seen by Reuters.
• Today’s Most Read stories
• Join The Irish Times WhatsApp channel for breaking news straight to your phone.

The Big Read

• ‘I am no longer physically attracted to my husband’: “My husband and I have been together for around 12 years, have beautiful kids, both work outside the home and have a happy life together. The problem is that I am no longer physically attracted to my husband and dread having to be intimate with him,” a reader says.

The best from Opinion

• Mary Lawlor: This is a war on women, on journalists, on human rights defenders
• Michael McDowell: Implausible to suggest amendments will have no serious consequence
• Una Mullally: Martin might just survive this crisis. But that doesn’t mean she should

Today's Business

• Women more than twice as likely to rely on State pension: Women are more than twice as likely as men to rely heavily on the State pension for their income in retirement, according to a new survey.

Top Sports news

• Aifric Keogh plots route to Paris Olympics: Every Olympic journey is different, and in some sports it begins with the boat. Now comes the part when it’s decided who exactly gets to sit in them come the Paris Games in July.

Martyn Turner

Culture and Life & Style Highlights

• ‘I felt I am not a full woman ... because I can’t face society with one breast’: A project designed by the RCSI aims to improve survival rates for women in Malawi diagnosed with breast cancer.
• Molly Furey: I had a quarter-life crisis when I returned to my old school: Growing up, the passage of time was an exciting, future-oriented thing – it spurred you towards your 20s and that glamorous thing called adulthood.

Podcast Highlights

• In the News: The Yes and No referendum campaigns explained

Why not try one of our Crosswords & Puzzles?

• Simplex Crossword
• Crosaire Crossword
• Sudoku Puzzle

Like this?

Get the best content direct to your inbox by signing up to one of our newsletters