WHAT IS BEING TAUGHT IN TASSIE SEX ED CLASSES
GOVERNMENT schools use the recently launched Respectful Relationships education package. An Education Department spokeswoman said the package identified strategies, processes and skills to guide schools and communities in the explicit teaching of respectful relationships.
Individual schools and their communities are able to decide the most suitable program for their children, and teachers are supported by curriculum documents with age-appropriate activities.
to describe a range of emotions in appropriate ways and recognise feelings that can be warning signals of unsafe or uncomfortable situations.
how to take responsibility for their own safety at school and at home, and to identify the people at school and in their community who can help them in a range of situations.
also learn to interact with others with care, empathy and respect. an understanding of the qualities of respectful relationships. a support network of trusted adults they can go to for help. a range of potentially unsafe situations and propose strategies and behaviours to minimise their risk of harm.
a common understanding about stereotypes and identities and how perceptions of the roles within a relationship can influence the power and respect in relationships.
assumptions made about stereotypes, roles and their impact on
The Coalition for Marriage has also raised concerns about what is already being taught in schools. Mrs Dickson shared the story of a Tasmanian mother, who wanted to remain anonymous, who said her daughter was confused by a presentation given, by gender, sexuality and intersex status education group Working It Out, which discussed the concept of gender not being determined by a person’s sex. familial relationships.
skills in communication, negotiation, media literacy, help seeking and advocacy.
Year 5 and 6, students learn about the nature of stereotypes, including gender stereotypes (for example, discussing certain activities that are seen as only for boys or only for girls.
Year 7 and 8, students explore the stereotypes that exist in society and how they can influence identities and relationships.
Year 9 and 10, students look at the impact gender stereotypes and narrow perceptions of masculinity and femininity can have on relationships, and how attitudes towards women and gender equality can lay the foundation for violence.
Year 11 and 12, students look at the factors that characterise respectful intimate relationships and the range of assumptions about gender. They deconstruct gender stereotypes in the media and develop practical strategies for challenging them. Tasmanian state schools can also use an appropriate external provider to deliver specific education programs.
Sexual Assault Support Service runs a primary prevention in schools program which includes training school staff in how to deal with disclosures of harm and to improve a culture of sexual safety within the school, educating parents and carers on sexual assault issues, and teaching young people how to stay sexually safe in person and online and how to manage their sexual choices in an ethical way.
sexuality and intersex status
Catholic Archbishop of Hobart Julian Porteous told a Christian conference in Queensland last month that “children are already being taught, at very young ages, radical sexual programs without the knowledge or consent of their parents”.
Archbishop Porteous also said if the definition of marriage was changed in Australia “these efforts will move to a whole new level”. support group Working It Out helps schools better support LGBTI students, families and staff members. For schools that ask for its help, Working It Out provides a framework that includes professional learning for staff members, help for teachers to support students and families, options for schools to set up diversity groups for students, and the provision of information sessions that the schools or school association requests for parents. In Catholic schools, the largest group of non-government schools in Tasmania, the Catholic Education Office’s health and sexuality education program Growing Towards Wholeness is used. The program promotes a Christian approach to sexuality and human relationships. It says the senior secondary years are “a prime opportunity for introducing young adults to the spiritual, theological, philosophical and ethical teachings of the church on health and sexuality as a preparation for marriage or celibate chastity”. The Growing Towards Wholeness program also includes:
development for teachers, with the major objective being teachers achieving a comprehensive understanding of the Catholic Church’s teaching on sexuality.
into consideration the needs of students who join Catholic schools from other school sectors by providing an introduction to a values-rich approach.
for parents to withdraw students from a program or parts of a program.
For Working It Out chief executive Susan Ditter, a major concern is supporting students and staff who need it.
“What we don’t want to happen because of the misinformation and myths is that there ends up being no support for transgender children and their families,” Ms Ditter said.
“Children who are different can be very vulnerable ... It’s very important that not just all students but all people know that if you bully someone because of difference, it’s wrong.”
Ms Ditter said Working It Out worked with schools that asked for the group’s help.
“Over the last six years, we’ve supported more than 60 schools ... predominantly government schools but not exclusively.
Working It Out is a member of the Safe Schools Coalition Australia.
Safe Schools was a national program, launched by former prime minister Tony Abbott in 2014, but lost its federal funding after conservative MPs, including Mr Abbott, campaigned against it.
The Tasmanian Government has also chosen not to fund it.
The Safe Schools Coalition continues to provide support for high school teachers to give them knowledge and skills to make their schools more inclusive for young LGBTI people.
The Safe Schools Coalition has been a target for antisame-sex marriage campaigners, but the coalition has said there has been “a lot of misinformation” about the program and its resources.
“Our resources are designed to help schools to create an inclusive and safe learning environment, so all students can participate and engage with their studies and school activities to the best of their abilities,” a spokesman said.
“[Safe Schools] will continue to support teachers and schools who were asking for assistance to create an inclusive environment for LGBTI students and families.”
A Tasmanian Education Department spokeswoman said all Tasmanian government schools offered comprehensive, age-appropriate relationship and sexuality education in line with the national health and physical education curriculum.
“It aims to provide students with age-appropriate knowledge, understanding and skills to manage the physical, emotional and social changes experienced throughout their lives,” the spokeswoman said.
“When planning sexuality and relationship education programs, teachers consider what is suitable for children at particular stages of their development.”
Tasmanian government schools can also choose an appropriate provider — such as Working It Out or the Sexual Assault Support Service to deliver specific programs.
“We need to trust the schools and the Education Department that they’re doing the right thing by the students and the schools,” Ms Ditter said.