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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-09-25 Daily Xml
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Question Time

SEXUAL HEALTH EDUCATION

The Hon. R.B. SUCH (Fisher) (14:25): My question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development: will you undertake a review of age-specific relationships/human sexuality courses being undertaken in departmental schools with a view to ensuring that all students have an understanding of human sexuality and, importantly, appropriate behaviour?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:25): I thank the member for Fisher for his question, and I agree that students should have a good understanding about sexual health. By way of background, relationships and sexual health education fits primarily within the health and physical education learning area of the current curriculum that is provided in our schools.

The soon to be released Australian Curriculum—health and physical education—defines the content to be taught, including providing students with age-appropriate knowledge and skills to manage the changes they will experience as they reach puberty. The relationships and sexuality portion of this curriculum explores physical, social and emotional changes that occur over time and looks at how relationships and sexuality play a significant role in these changes. The content supports students to develop the skills, to grow and maintain respectful relationships, and develop positive practices that support the development of their identify.

At this stage, a review wouldn't be necessary given that the Australian Curriculum has been widely consulted upon across Australia and the new HPE curriculum is yet to be introduced. However, what we are doing is undertaking a review of the Keeping Safe Child Protection Curriculum to ensure that issues such as sexting and online access to explicit content are in the curriculum.

An expert advisory panel has been convened to undertake this review and that includes Professor Freda Briggs, Professor Kenneth Rigby from UniSA, Professor Phillip Slee from Flinders University, Dr Barbara Spears from UniSA, Mary Carmody from Catholic Education, and Jo Mason and Lana Dubrowsky from the Principals Australia Institute. These are the experts on that panel. It is providing advice on ensuring the curriculum addresses contemporary child safety issues such as cyberbullying, strategies for dealing with explicit online images, and sexting.

At this stage it is anticipated the final review curriculum will be available for the 2014 school year. I can also advise the house that the Department of Education and Child Development has an agreement with the Sexual Information Network and Education SA (SHineSA). SHineSA is acknowledged as the lead agency in South Australia in relation to improving the sexual health, respectful relationships and wellbeing of the South Australian community. SHineSA provides support and resources for schools to implement relationship and sexual health education programs through the Focus Schools Program for secondary schools. A total of 121 DECD schools are involved in the Focus Schools Program. This is about 90 per cent of our secondary schools.

In the period 1 July 2012 to 30 June this year a total of 1,297 teachers have participated in professional development opportunities with SHine, including 15-hour teacher training courses, professional development sessions such as HPE faculty or staff updates, evaluation, introductory sessions and also various other professional development sessions. We are working hard to make sure our students have a strong understanding about appropriate and safe relationships, and we will continue to do so.

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