Northern Ireland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People has called for abortion to be promoted to adolescents in Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) lessons, it has emerged.
Koulla Yiasouma has told the Northern Ireland Office that “access to abortion” should be taught as a “compulsory component” of the school curriculum.
Her comments were made in response to a consultation on the UK Government’s extreme abortion framework for Northern Ireland.
Currently, the content of the Relationship and Sexuality Education curriculum in Northern Ireland is advisory and children and parents can opt-out.
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However, the children’s Commissioner has said she looks forward to seeing proposals become a compulsory part of Northern Ireland’s school curriculum.
Extreme abortion law imposed on Northern Ireland
In June, Westminster voted in favour of motions approving the Government’s decision to impose an extreme abortion regime on Northern Ireland.
Despite the Northern Ireland Assembly passing a motion rejecting the regulations, peers in the House of Lords voted to approve the motion by 355 votes to 77. Just two days later, MPs in the House of Commons voted to do the same with 253 votes in favour and 136 against.
Under the new regulations, abortion is allowed up to the point of birth for all disabilities, including cleft lip, club foot and Down’s syndrome.
The regulations also introduce de-facto abortion on demand through to 24-weeks and allow sex-selective abortion through 12-weeks.
‘Deeply troubling‘
A spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson said: “The role of a children’s commissioner is to protect the rights of children and young people. Yet, in wanting to promote abortion to adolescents, the children’s commissioner is failing to recognise and protect the unborn child’s right to life. The commissioner is also attempting to run roughshod over the rights of parents to decide when to have an age appropriate conversation about the issue of abortion with their children rather than this being forced on their children by the state as a compulsory part of the curriculum in schools.”
