A senior TD has questioned the suitability of some material on the Junior and Leaving Cert English curriculum as they contain descriptions and images of paedophilia, bestiality and torture.
Former Fianna Fail Defence Minister Willie O’Dea said the issue was a “cause of concern”.
In a parliamentary question to the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, he said: “Many of the texts and films contain explicit, graphic sexual content including sex between older adults and minors, bestiality and torture,.
“They focus on death in a macabre, gratuitous way.”
The Limerick TD added texts on the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment list have been banned from the curriculum in the UK and the US.
Mr O’Dea said he asked the question after being approached by constituents.
The TD admitted he had not studied the issue “in great detail” but added: “It is a cause for concern as young minds are easily impressionable”.
Among the novels which contain graphic content are Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis on the Leaving Certi course and This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki, The Savage by David Almond and The Outsiders by S E Hinton for Junior Cert students.
Other works containing adult themes include Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Emma Donoghue’s Room.
Ms Foley said the curriculum was considered to be for all learners “regardless of race, religion, socioeconomic background, gender or orientation” but the decision on which texts were used rested with individual schools.
She added: “They can choose whichever text best suits the context of their teaching and their students.
“Achieving a balanced list of texts remains a challenging and worthwhile endeavour and work continues to create a broadly balanced, diverse and inclusive list every year,” she observed.
The Minister said the list for both the Junior and Leaving Certificate curriculum would be reviewed
She added the NCCA received advice about what should be on the curriculum, while parents, teachers and students can make suggestions.
