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Question and Answer Tracking Details

6369 - SEX EDUCATION FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Greenwich, Alex to the Minister for Education
  1. What programs does the Government provide for high school students to learn about sex and sexuality?
  2. How do these programs include information and skills for students to understand and negotiate safe sex?
  3. How do these programs include bisexuality?
  4. How do these programs include homosexuality?
  5. How do these programs include transgender identity?
  6. How do these programs include intersex status?
  7. What plans does the Government have to ensure these programs are inclusive and that students learn about the diversity of human sexuality?
  8. What further action will the Government take to provide a more inclusive sex education curriculum?
Answer -

(1) In Year 11 andor 12, students in government schools participate in Crossroads. Crossroads is a mandatory 25 hour course designed to help senior students address issues of health, safety and wellbeing, including sex and sexuality at a time when they face significant changes and challenges in their lives.

(2) Teachers implement the Crossroads course through the use of evidence based resources and teaching and learning materials, provided by key stakeholder groups, that enable students to understand and negotiate safe sex.

(3) to (6) The Crossroads course for students in Years 11 andor 12 explores aspects of identity with a focus on gender and sexual identities. Students explore factors that influence gender and sexual identities including diversity, cultural values, discrimination and addressing homophobia and transphobia.

(7) In 2014, the Department of Education and Communities revised the content and delivery of the Crossroads course in consultation with key stakeholder groups. The revised content has a strengthened focus on inclusivity, sexuality and sexual health. This revised content will be implemented in government schools from 2015.

(8) In New South Wales, sex education for all students is included in the mandatory Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) curriculum. It is provided within the broader context of growth and development, positive relationships and safe and healthy choices.

In the PDHPE high school curriculum, an inclusive and age-appropriate approach to sex education includes learning about rights and responsibilities in relationships, planning and managing sexual health and strategies to support young people to keep safe, including specific reference to sex-based harassment and homophobic bullying, affirming sexual diversity and the impact of discrimination.

The PDHPE curriculum was developed following extensive consultation with education stakeholders and relevant health experts and agencies.

The Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES) evaluates its syllabuses on an annual basis to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of all students in New South Wales schools.

BOSTES is committed to ensuring that any future New South Wales PDHPE syllabus incorporates the existing strengths of the current New South Wales PDHPE syllabus and through extensive consultation with education stakeholders and relevant experts and agencies will ensure that it is inclusive of all students.

Question asked on 22 October 2014 (session 55-2) and printed in Questions & Answers Paper No. 11
Answer received on 26 November 2014 and printed in Questions & Answers Paper No. 22

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