Psychotherapist, broadcaster and former professional footballer Richie Sadlier has launched Let's Talk SPHE, reportedly Ireland's first digital teaching solution aligned with the updated social, personal and health education curriculum, as reported by Silicon Republic, ahead of its mandatory introduction in fifth and sixth year by 2027.

The subscription-based platform was co-founded by Sadlier and guidance counsellor and SPHE teacher Pam O'Leary, providing structured lessons, multimedia learning and teacher guidance for secondary schools navigating the reformed course.

The platform is currently being piloted in more than 40 schools and is expected to reach approximately 20,000 students from September.

Figures from the Department of Education indicate that only 18% of Ireland's more than 700 secondary schools previously timetabled SPHE in fifth year, underscoring the scale of the implementation challenge facing the sector.

Sadlier said the reform represents a fundamental shift in how schools approach wellbeing education. "When you introduce a requirement for 60 hours of structured delivery in every secondary school, that's a significant shift for the system," he said. "By 2027, every post-primary school will be delivering a senior cycle SPHE. The question now is how prepared schools are to deliver it."

He added that the reform broadens the scope of education technology beyond academic subjects. "What this reform does is recognise that wellbeing and relationships education are just as important," he said. "That creates a responsibility to ensure schools have the right supports in place."

Sadlier has spent more than a decade working with young people on topics including relationships, consent, masculinity and mental health.

Read the full story behind the platform's launch and its implications for Irish secondary schools.