P.p.t.a. Votes For School Sex Education (Press, 29 August 1975)

The Post-Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA) held its annual conference in Wellington, where significant support was expressed for the introduction of courses on human development and relationships, including sex education, in State secondary schools. This decision builds on a prior agreement from the previous year's conference that schools must take on such educational responsibilities. Delegates concluded that these courses should be a mandatory part of the curriculum, while also ensuring parents have the option to withdraw their children from classes over specific content they might object to. A request was made for the Department of Education to appoint a dedicated curriculum-development officer focusing on human development and relationship courses in schools. Additionally, it was suggested that in-service training be made available for teachers to better understand the objectives of these new courses. The conference endorsed the department's publication "Human Development and Relationships in the School Curriculum" as a valuable guide for the sex education components. The implications of this decision are profound, marking a departure from the previous avoidance of sensitive topics in secondary education. The new curriculum aims to facilitate open discussions on issues once deemed taboo, advancing the notion that schools should develop their course methodologies in consultation with parents and local communities. The principal of Fairfield College, Mr J. R. Kelly, highlighted that courses on human development and relationships often get reduced to mere sex education. Instead, he argued, the focus should encompass broader aspects of human interaction, such as living and working together. Mr Kelly noted that society had been overlooking the essential educational needs of young individuals by assuming that home would cover what schools failed to teach. He described this neglect as leading to a societal 'harvest' of ignorance, suggesting that teachers have a professional responsibility to confront and address real-life issues faced by adolescents. He critiqued the existing educational model for cultivating students in a vacuum, predominantly focused on literacy and mathematics but lacking connections to the world that adolescents must navigate. He emphasised the need for education to foster a deeper understanding of oneself and one's relationships, warning that the current approach risks passing down societal prejudices and dogmas to the next generation. He argued for a comprehensive education that prepares students for life's complexities, suggesting that maturity comes from developing judgment through engaging with real-life issues, rather than simply waiting for them to mature into judgment. The conference's decisions signal a progressive shift towards a more inclusive and realistic educational framework that aims to equip students with the skills necessary to navigate their lives and relationships effectively.

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