FPA welcomes Sexuality Education Review

24 AUGUST 2007

Family Planning welcomes the ERO evaluation of sexuality education programmes – the first stock take of sexuality education since it was made compulsory to teach a sexuality education programme in all state and state-integrated schools in 2001.

The report provides an opportunity to strengthen the delivery of the curriculum and the training and development of support resources. FPA welcomes the Government response in committing to an inter-agency working group to progress work on the recommendations. FPA says, as one of the lead organisations in the sector, it would welcome the opportunity to be involved in the working group.

Chief Executive Jackie Edmond says sexuality education has only been a compulsory part of the New Zealand education curriculum since 2001. Family Planning has been concerned since then that there is no consistency in delivering the curriculum – a view reinforced by ERO which recommends that the Ministries of Education and Health “provide schools with further evidence-based best practice information on effective sexuality education, to inform the development and delivery of sexuality programmes”.

“Family Planning is not critical of schools – we understand the pressures they are under to develop and deliver a broad range of curriculum programmes. Our view is that schools would value and welcome clearer guidelines from the Ministries about the sexuality education curriculum,” Ms Jackie Edmond says.

“For instance, one of the ironies of the report is that it reinforces the Ministries goals of reducing both unintended pregnancies and sexually transmissible infections, but it is possible to meet the current curriculum guidelines without giving young people any information about either of these issues.”

Family Planning has five key responses to the ERO report.

1. Family Planning would like schools to be given more guidance around curriculum content and believes schools would welcome this certainty and support.

- Family Planning believes this content should reflect the needs of young people who want information about both the practical and emotional aspects of sexuality.

- The ERO report found two areas of particular weakness across schools. These were assessing learning in sexuality education and, meeting the needs of diverse groups of students. Around two-thirds of schools in the evaluation needed to improve their performance significantly in these areas.

2. Family Planning believes schools must offer comprehensive sexuality education programmes.

- Overseas research confirms that countries with comprehensive sexuality education, social openness in attitudes to discussing sex and sexuality and good access to contraception and sexual health services have better sexual and reproductive health outcomes for their young people.
3. Young people must be included in the curriculum planning.

4. Young people must know where to get help and information.

- Family Planning says schools and communities must understand that legally, young people have the right to access sexual and reproductive health education and services without parental knowledge or consent.

5. Schools are working very hard to fulfil unclear curriculum requirements. They must be supported with quality programmes, quality resources and training for teachers who are delivering sexual and reproductive health programmes.

“Many critics of sexuality education promote the view that providing young people with sexuality education will encourage or promote sexual behaviour. The Family Planning position, supported by international research, is that quality sexuality education encourages young people to delay becoming sexually active,” Ms Edmond says.

“Internationally respected research says however it is information not ignorance that will keep our young people safe. We are not talking about providing young people with a “how to or go to” manual – we are talking about providing them with consistent, quality information, about the opportunity to explore their own values and practice decision-making and negotiation skills.

“The Family Planning Association view, publicly and constantly stated, is that we encourage all young people to delay becoming sexually active until they are intellectually, physically and emotionally ready. That said, we are pragmatic enough to understand that young people will, as they always have, engage in sexual behaviour. When they do, we want them to be as informed as possible about outcomes, consequences and, most importantly, the ways to keep themselves safe. Parents and whanau, schools and organisations such as Family Planning, all have a role to play in equipping our young people to become healthy sexual adults.”

Note to subs:

Family Planning has 26 health promoters who work in schools, with community groups and other organisations providing sexual and reproductive health education.

Family Planning has 26 clinics nationwide and a further 25 clinics in New Zealand schools offering students a confidential service. Students can access clinical assistance – contraception, STI screening, pregnancy testing – as well as information and advice about sexual and reproductive health issues.
Family Planning produces a range of resources for schools to use either in conjunction with Family Planning health promoters or by their own teachers.

These resources include:

- Te Piritahi – Teaching Young People About Relationships – a resource for teaching 10-18 year olds about relationships. Includes: the latest research for effectively teaching sexuality, relationships education, and covers relationship violence. Interactive activities for Years 7 to 12, with curriculum links and assessment suggestions.

- Affirming Diversity – has been developed as a practical guide for teachers and others working with youth to support them in creating safer environments for same-sex attracted and transgender young people. It also contains information and activities designed to help teach all young people about diversity in sexual orientation and gender identity.

- Feeling Special, Feeling Safe – is a positive life skills programme for children in the early years of education, and their families. The programme encourages self-worth, the exploration of feelings, assertiveness and open communication. It also develops skills and knowledge to help children to resist bullying, negative peer pressure and sexual abuse. Each manual comes with a CD of songs.

- Keep Safe Contraceptive/STI Teaching Kit – aims to help people to gain accurate information about safer sex and contraceptive methods, to discuss contraception, to see and handle contraceptives, to consider issues about contraception and safer sex in their relationships, to learn about how STIs are spread, how to avoid them and how to treat them.

- Safe Relationships, Safer Sex – a booklet for use with people with mild to moderate learning disabilities.

ENDS

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