Hon Erica Stanford
Minister of Education

The Government welcomes a new report which confirms the way Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) is taught in schools isn’t fit for purpose, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.

“In a world that’s rapidly changing, young people deserve every opportunity to be equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive and interact positively and respectfully with others. RSE has an important role to play in that.”

New research from the Education Review Office (ERO) has found there is too much inconsistency in what is being taught and when, and it often depends on where a child goes to school. For example, the report says more than three quarters of recent school leavers say they didn’t learn enough about consent. It also found a third of parents want to change what or how RSE is taught, while nearly a quarter of schools deliver RSE on an ad-hoc basis.

“The report makes clear the status quo is not working for schools, parents or our young people. We want to give teachers certainty in what they’re teaching in the classroom and parents clarity on what their child is learning so they can make informed decisions about their education,” Ms Stanford says.

The report made several recommendations including the review of the Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) Curriculum (2007).

“The RSE Curriculum will be refreshed for the first time in nearly 20 years, in that time society has shifted significantly. The Ministry of Education will convene a group of curriculum writers with expertise in RSE to develop a new curriculum which explicitly lays out what gets taught and when.

“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. This will meet a coalition commitment between National and New Zealand First.

“The report’s other recommendations will help inform this refresh. It is critical we give our schools the right tools to deliver high quality RSE. This Government is committed to giving our young people a world leading education that sets them up for success,” Ms Stanford says.

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