Categories: News

Sexuality education guidelines link to curriculum applauded by Family Planning

&NewLine;<p><img class&equals;" alignright size-full wp-image-1531" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;schoolnewsnz&period;fastrackdev&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2015&sol;06&sol;SND16-wk1-Sexuality&lowbar;education&lowbar;guidlines&period;jpg" alt&equals;"SND16-wk1-Sexuality education guidlines" style&equals;"margin&colon; 5px&semi; float&colon; right&semi;" width&equals;"300" height&equals;"213" &sol;>The new sexuality education guidelines released last week are directly linked to the New Zealand Curriculum&period; <&excl;--more--> <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Sexuality education is part of Health and Physical Education in The New Zealand Curriculum &lpar;2007&rpar;&period; Sexuality education starts at Level 1 of The New Zealand Curriculum&period; This is the first time the guidelines have been revised since 2002&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The guidelines detail how sex education and sexuality education are different&period; The New Zealand Curriculum supports a holistic approach to sexuality education as defined by the hauora model&comma; which includes physical&comma; social&comma; mental&comma; emotional&comma; and spiritual aspects&period; This is much broader than sex education&comma; which relates only to the physical aspects of sexual and reproductive knowledge&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>This connection with the curriculum is applauded by Family Planning&comma; which says the guidelines provide much needed support to school boards&comma; principals&comma; and teachers to deliver effective&comma; quality sexuality education&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Family Planning <a class&equals;"wpil&lowbar;keyword&lowbar;link" href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;schoolnews&period;co&period;nz&sol;2015&sol;10&sol;new-chief-executive-for-education-council&sol;" title&equals;"chief executive" data-wpil-keyword-link&equals;"linked" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank">chief executive<&sol;a> Jackie Edmond describes the new guidelines as comprehensive and sensible and rooted in the issues facing young people today such as pornography&comma; sexual bullying and bullying via social media&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>She says the guidelines bring together the overwhelming evidence that supports sexuality education in schools&comma; and across all year groups&period; They also give certainty and reassurance to schools as they implement and expand these programmes&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;We have advocated for a long time for sexuality education programmes that take a broad and holistic view of health&comma; which are positive and supportive&comma; because these are most effective for young people&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;And&comma; outcomes for young people are better when these programmes are supported by and linked to health services and access to resources&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Ms Edmond says&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;We are also pleased with the inclusive nature of these guidelines – which use not only the te whare tapa wh&amacr; model of M&amacr;ori health and wellbeing but also Pasifika models such as fonofale&period; Equity and sexual and gender diversity are also welcomed inclusions&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;We know that quality comprehensive sexuality education supports young people to make good decisions&comma; to delay sexual activity and to use contraception when they do become sexually active&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p><&sol;p>&NewLine;

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Rosie Clarke

Rosie is the managing editor here at Multimedia Pty Ltd, working across School News New Zealand and School News Australia. She has spent 10+ years in B2B journalism, and has spent some time over the last couple of years teaching as a sessional academic. Feel free to contact her at any time with editorial or magazine content enquiries.

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