RSE Investigation: Education Minster gives initial findings

Tue, 21 Mar 2023

The Education Minister has given an update regarding an independent investigation into the Island's relationships and sex education curriculum. 

Julie Edge confirmed investigators had released Part 1 of the investigation which examined elements of a drop down day for Year 7 pupils at Queen Elizabeth II High School in September last year.

Initial findings said claims of a drag queen teaching a lesson and the removal of a child due a dispute over the number of genders were 'inaccurate'.

The investigation found the guest speaker, who occasionally performed as a drag artist, was not dressed in drag at the time

The Department of Education, Sport and Culture last month paused its RSE curriculum in all its schools while the independent external investigation is carried out.

The investigation has been split into three stages:

• Stage 1 - Delivery of a drop down day for Year 7 students at QEII in September 2022
• Stage 2 - The preparation and delivery of RSE in QEII
• Stage 3 - Review RSE curriculum, guidance and training provided by DESC.

The second part of the investigation will now look into concerns by parents about the content and delivery of the RSE curriculum at the same school.

Ms Edge named the two investigators as Paul Morris and Richard Power.

The Manx Government has released the following:

• Statement by Minister for Education, Sport and Culture on the independent external investigation into RSE from this morning’s sitting of Tynwald
• Terms of reference for the independent external investigation into RSE
• A redacted version of the summary of findings from part 1 of the independent external investigation into RSE

Parts of the summary are redacted as there is a high level of personal data included within the document.  Following completion of parts 2 and 3 of the investigation the overall findings will be made available through an executive summary.

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Documents

• Statement to Tynwald on Part 1 of RSE investigation
• Summary of Part 1 of RSE investigation
• ToR RSE investigation