82309 (2024). Shanan Halbert to the Minister of Education

82309 (2024). Shanan Halbert to the Minister of Education: What advice, if any, has the Minister received that suggests that Relationship and Sexuality Education guidelines (RSE) should be removed from the curriculum in state and state-integrated schools?

Hon Erica Stanford: Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) is part of the Health and Physical Education learning area of the New Zealand Curriculum. It is compulsory for State and State integrated schools to teach this learning area in Years 1 to 10. The current RSE guidelines are optional for schools to use. These guidelines were implemented without regulatory status in 2020. The Education Review Office’s (ERO) recent review found a range of views about the content of the guidelines. ERO recommended that the RSE curriculum be reviewed to ensure clarity on what should be taught and when, spanning from Years 0 to 13, and should also clarify the knowledge, skills, and understanding students are expected to develop. The report also made recommendations regarding resources, supports, and professional learning and development for school leaders and teachers. I have received the following reports from the Ministry of Education on RSE and the refresh of the national curriculum, which included some advice on the potential removal of the guidelines: • 25 January 2024: Update on relationships and sexuality education in schooling • 16 September 2024: Refreshing the national curriculum – approach to remaining NZC writing groups, and associated content for the refreshed NZC and redesigned TMoA • 6 November 2024: Draft Cabinet paper on Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories and relationships and sexuality education.