She was speaking ahead of the closure of the consultation today.
The Upper bann MLA said,
“RSE is a devolved issue and should have remained in the gift of a restored Executive and Assembly. Instead, these reforms were railroaded through without prior consultation with local communities.
Whilst the Department of Education was expected to consult on the circumstances in which a parent should be able to request their child is withdrawn from the new teaching, the consultation offered very little in the way of detail. Not only must the right to opt-out be enshrined, but it Is our strong view that the teaching of these issues must take account of the ethos and values of the school.
Throughout the consultation process I have engaged with principals, teachers, governors, and parents. We have held on-line and in-person engagements to assist those who wanted to participate in the process.
As the consultation period comes to a close I want to thank all those who have taken part and we will continue to engage with the Department of Education and work with all interested parties to monitor the process going forward.”
