Sex Ed is an Outrage! right?

Sex education classes in New Zealand are becoming too graphic and kids are too young to understand what they’re being taught, according to outraged parents.

The article linked to above, if it is to be believed then there is mounting hysteria when it comes to sex education in schools.

According to an MSN NZ poll asking readers if NZ schools were going too far when teaching children about sex it seems the response was fairly even between ‘yes’ and ‘no’. Which seems to be in direct conflict with the ‘outrage’ splashed across the headline.

So what is the policy?


TKI site points out that “The Education Standards Act 2001 repealed sections 105C and 105D of the Education Act 1964. School boards of every state school must now implement the health curriculum in accordance with section 60B of the Education Act. Previously, schools had an option to exclude the sexuality education components of the curriculum.

It also states that:
Students require a range of developmentally appropriate learning opportunities in sexuality education. These include opportunities to develop:

• knowledge, understandings, and skills relating to sexual development –physical, emotional, and social;
• knowledge, understandings, and skills to enhance their sexual and reproductive health

I think the issue is not the content of the curriculum just the age at which it is delivered. If the .

KiwiFamilies point to the necessity for the school to inform parents that sexuality education is the focus of learning at any given time. They go on to say that a school should inform parents via a newsletter and to invite parents/caregivers to an information evening.

So is 12 years old too young?

Useful Links:

Talking with Your Teenager/Rangatahi about Safer Sex – English version
You and your teenager: Information to assist Pacific parents to discuss sexual health with their young people.



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Sex Education: People are dumb

Health Ministry northern regional manager Bruce Adin said health education, including sex education, was an important part of the New Zealand curriculum.
Students are reaching puberty earlier and earlier. Whether diet, lifestyle, or some immeasurable ‘x-factor’ is the cause the issue remains that kids need to be taught about the changes they face in the coming years.

One of the main problems here is that puberty hits different kids at different ages and blanket sex education in Year 5 and 6 may not be the answer.
It is not the best solution, it is the solution a society and government can come up with when the onus is upon the ‘state’ to educate kids about such things.
Gone are the days when mum or dad, or even nanna and pop, have ‘that conversation’ when their kids asks 'the question'.
Where the Grandad in the story might be right is that his grand-daughter may not have asked ‘the question’ for another year or two had the topic not been raised. Which may or may not be the case. But the reality is that kids in her school are probably a lot closer to needing to know even if she is not. What is a Ministry, a school, to do?
This is just another case of society left holding the responsibility that a parent should have. SO what’s the big deal? Parents are smart. They can handle it.

Why the big secret? People are smart. They can handle it.
A person is smart. People are dumb…

(Edwards and Kay, MIB, 1997)

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