Parents and Church leaders should stand up against inappropriate curriculum, says priest

A priest with decades of experience in education has described the Government’s SPHE curriculum, which was brought to public attention by whistleblower-teacher Mary Creedon, who revealed that secondary school students were being exposed to explicit sexual content within classrooms, as being devoid of morals and respect and urged concerned parents and Church leaders to speak out against the startling content.

Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Fr Patrick Moore, Parish Priest of Castlepollard and Vicar Forane, who has amassed decades of experience on schools’ boards of management, said that it is his wish that school student’s innocence be respected and not be subject to impositions “from the outside”.

“None of this stuff should be imposed on them from outside,” he said. “If their parents saw a need when questions arose, they could very delicately deal with it. That’s the healthiest and most sane way of going about.”

Fr Moore has experience in dealing with particular impositions in his capacity on schools’ boards of management and has rejected certain proposals, in vain. He discerns a new style of education that is not rooted in morals or gospel principles and in time, this will have a detrimental effect on children.

“In my school I did not pass at the board meeting the document authorising certain impositions of primary school children but it was to no effect because they said they’re already doing it,” he said. “There are no safeguards and not a word about morals or gospel principles – it’s just pure mechanics. We’re training children for promiscuity rather than self-control and respect.”

Fr Moore ultimately believes that priests speaking out about the matter has “limited value” in mobilising support against the inappropriate curriculum, but instead thinks that the key to drawing attention to the issue is encouraging parents and members of the hierarchy to express their concerns with “courage”.

“I’m concerned that there’s not a strong voice coming from the Church about it,” he said. “A priest speaking out about this has limited value I think, parents have a stronger value in speaking out. But these concerned parents need guidance and they need courage for leadership in this matter, which has to come from higher-ups.

“I’ve great respect for the hierarchy but I think the hierarchy should be more in-tune with this situation and give leadership and guidance which are governed by the Holy Spirit.”