Relationships & Sexuality Education

In December, the long awaited review of the Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) guidelines was published. It showed that there is “wide support from students and parents and whānau for RSE being taught in schools.” The PPTA released a statement in December detailing a response to the report. 

The recommendations of the report are to extend teaching and learning of RSE into senior secondary school, increase consistency of what is taught and look at the consultation requirement on boards. In response Erica Standford, Minister of Education, accepted the findings of the reports and has said that the “A draft of the topic areas to be taught will be available from Term 1 with consultation open later in 2025. This will coincide with the current gender, sexuality and relationship-based education guidelines being removed by the end of the first term.”

Our concern is about the lack of  transparency in this process and the flawed logic of abandoning guidelines before the new set has been trialled and fully developed. The potential for this to be a backward step for schools that are not confident or reluctant with their implementation of RSE could cause harm for our rainbow rangitahi.