Sexuality education is an important and compulsory part of the New Zealand (NZ) Curriculum. Sexuality education is important so young people can feel empowered about their sexuality and make positive informed decisions. Sexuality education across the country follows a similar outline regulated by the Ministry of Education (MoE) but different students have various experiences and learn different knowledge of sexuality in schools. I went to a religious all-girls school and throughout this assignment I will be discussing my sexuality education in reference to significant topics. These include the official and unofficial curriculum, heteronormativity, homophobia and the missing discourse of desire.
The official curriculum in schools refers to the formal curriculum in schools that is explicitly set out in school policy and forms a deliberate and intentional part of the curriculum. This occurs in areas such as biology, religious studies and sexuality education. The official curriculum is said to be “non-sexist, non-racist, non-discriminatory as well as students’ abilities to be affirmed and their learning needs as addressed (Minstry of Education, 2007). In schools the official curriculum mostly features teaching of contraception, reproductive health, pregnancy, basic anatomy and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) (Allen, L., 2011). Schools stress this information and my school were no different from this. At my high-school we learnt about these topics from year nine to year
According to a research survey by UniSA’s Emeritus Professor Bruce Johnson, 77% of girls and 74% of boys cited their high school sexual education lessons as their number one source of information on sexuality and relationships, with friends being cited as their second most likely source. Such a large number of Australian teenagers count and rely on their PDHPE classes to teach them such paramount lessons about such an important topic. This leads us to assume that, if such a considerable percentage of high school students rely on these lessons for their sexual education, they must be learning everything they desire to know from these lessons. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Within the same research survey, it was discovered that there were many subjects students wished were taught more in depth. 52% of girls wanted more
In Canadian society, there are certain things that are expected to happen. Any type of public hatred against the LGBTQ+ community, or any other cultural, or religious group, is completely not acceptable. As well as sexual education is to be taught in the school system. Beginning September of 2015, the Ontario school system implemented an upgrade to the province’s sexual health education curriculum. The updated curriculum contains a more progressive outlook than the old curriculum, which had not been updated since 1998 Today’s society is sexually explicit, and because of this, Ontario has tapered their sexual education towards this fact. This essay will explore the differences in how the curriculum has been received, and how the sexual education
I think it is safe to say that no two words elicit more feelings of concern, anxiety, and anger in parents, and stirs up more controversy and debate than the words “sexual education”. This especially true with the implementation of the new, revised sexual education curriculum in Ontario schools. Consequently, this controversy has strongly divided individuals, families, and organizations between those who approved of and those who opposed and protested against school-based programs that providee sexual health education to children. But why so much opposition? This is due to the significant changes made to the sexual education curriculum and the sensitive nature of the topics being taught to children regarding sexuality as a whole, changes which are seen as both radical and “even more explicit and more age-inappropriate than before…” (“Ontario’s Radical,” n.d.).
In my paper I will be discussing homophobia in schools and how it affects students and even teachers. Homophobia in schools is the leading cause of suicide and depression among teenagers and young adults. I believe that this is a crucial situation and needs to be addressed both at home and in school. School officials must be permitted and comfortable with addressing issues of homosexuality and homophobia that students may have. This is crucial in not only enabling a LGBT teenager to get an education that is in a non-hostile environment, but also in enabling the student to become a strong confident adult.
In “We must celebrate gender and sexual diversity in our schools” published in The Conversation, February 16 2016, Lucy Nicholas argues that the current commentary on the LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex) community against schools and the SSC (Safe Schools Coalition) is extremely out of touch. Many of youths already understand their sexuality, whether it be heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual.
Abstinence only education has been the most prevalent form of instruction in middle and high school courses for years in the United States. Instead of providing accurate scientific facts, it has been primarily based on ideology and what has been traditionally morally accepted: sexual activity within a heterosexual marriage. As a result, teenagers have been taught through biased information influenced by current heteronormative standards. Consequently, abstinence only education fails to acknowledge the minority populations of teenaged students who are different genders and sexualities other than a heterosexual male. Realistically, it can be inferred that a majority of the student bodies in America are rich in diversity. The classroom is no longer composed of homogenous individuals. Instead, classrooms are full of adolescents of various genders, sexualities, ages, and ethnicities. Abstinence only education strictly instructs through biological and reproductively compatible terms rather than addressing other methods of having sex, specifically pertaining to the LGBTQ community. The current curricula typically teaches that penile-vaginal sex is the “proper” way to have intercourse and that it is customary that sex occurs only between a man and a woman. Thus, emphasizing how genitalia should be used rather than having a more holistic approach towards sex. Ultimately, this disregards all of the possible mechanisms that exist when it comes to physical touch. As a consequence,
The school leads the sex education and has the curriculum to first educate students. It is not only the responsibility of the school or government; the parents also have responsibilities to teach their children at home. According to A Parent’s Guide, it says, “Parents help their children form values about relationships and behaviours and their sexual health.” (Ontario, 2015) The schools, parents, and communities are responsible for educations of children to feel involved in the changed and new concept society has developed. Most parents tend to avoid this kind of communication with their children. Parents are the most important role models to give the proper ideals on the issues. The results and conclusions depend on the children, not the parents or communities. Parents should give the right for the children to decide about the issues without forcing any specific opinions on them. Society should give the opportunities to the children to face the challenges that come ahead, and make decisions to solve problems based on the education they had in their childhood. With the decisions, children or students can develop their ideas of the sexual issues and topics by themselves. Through this stage, they are able to grow up further with
Educators will face many elements of same sex relationships, intersex and transgender aspects of gender diversity throughout their careers through both students and their families or the community. Taylor (2007) speaks about same sex relationships, homophobia and their effect on Australian society, she says that homophobia appears to be due to assertions of cultural incompatibility rather than a biological superiority (p. 210), she continues to explain that the gay and lesbian cultural beliefs, lifestyles and values are seen as a threat to Australian society and are the primary reason for exclusion (p. 210). It is important for teachers to understand the challenges same sex families may face and support students in same sex, transgender or bisexual families and relationships. Transgender children and
Across generations, we contend that education needs to be queered and queried in ways that disrupt normative presumptions regarding sexuality and that questions
Ever since 1981 when congressed passed the Adolescent Family Life Act, which promotes chastity and self discipline, the percentage of teachers in grades 7-12 who teach abstinence changed drastically from 1 in 50 to 1 in 4 Dailard (2001). Although 9 out of 10 teachers believe that kids should be taught more about contraception 1 in 4 are instructed not to Dailard (2001). Teachers believe that these kids have a right to learn more about safe sex, but are either required not to talk about it, or are afraid of negative backlash from the community or parents. Teachers are also more likely to emphasize different topics today than they used to do in the 1980s. Today they talk about abstinence, STDs and resisting peer pressure, opposed to teaching the more controversial subjects such as birth control, abortion and sexual orientation.
The vast pace and majority of changes that are happening in the modern world regarding gender norms and sexuality change the role of a teacher; it becomes more difficult and complex, but it also makes the role of the teacher something more rewarding to become involved in (Malaguzzi, 1994, p. 2). In an educational setting, a teacher needs to remain value neutral. She cannot let her own opinions and beliefs about sexuality and gender norms influence her pedagogy, instead, a teacher needs to perceive the world through the eyes of a child and create a quality, impartial and inclusive environment where students can practice a state of emotional wellbeing and find their identity in a safe space (Robson, 2004, p. 214; Siraj-Blatchford & Clarke, 2004, p. 25).
Normally,teachers talk within these sites may act to normalize, disorder, disarrange and rearrange savvy of sexuality. To suggest otherwise is to overlook the role that teachers and their talking invariably play in the formation of both their own and children’s understandings of sexuality. While deciphering the unwritten codification and fashioning real, in practice, the inclusive aspirations of Te Whäriki and the Revised Statement of Desirable Aim and Practices is doubtless challenging, it is a worthwhile challenge that will ‘unveil unthought-of possible action for all of us’. Unveiling such possibilities, in today’s rapidly changing world, is surely an important expression of the role of the teacher in early puerility
Often, sexual education can go against an individual's moral or religious beliefs. Many schools do not teach abstinence only but teach safe sex, whereas many religious groups and families do not value intercourse before marriage. Teachers may input their own beliefs or morals into the subject matter rather than stick with the facts if they are not properly trained on how to conduct a sex education course. Sex education classes are briefly focused on during a health class or physical education. This is not a long enough period to educate students on such serious material. These arguments does not take into account the fact that students will be taught on subjects such as, sexually transmitted diseases, the reproductive system, sexually and birthing issues rather than the stuff they learn through peers, television or the internet. Many of the myths learned by students about sex swill also are discussed, such as not being able to get pregnant the first time. Classes for those of a younger group are separated by gender, saving embarrassment amongst students and teachers. Teaching sex education can have a major impact on preventing unplanned pregnancy and other sexual problems in adulthood.
The focus on this issue comes from how HIV prevention education is usually taught in a heterosexual viewpoint, rather than any other sexual orientations. According to the author, policy changes to the way schools tackling issues of sexuality can provide teens and young adults more awareness of the benefits of maintaining a good sexual health. Australia has encountered problems with sexual education policies, where the curriculum hasn’t adjusted their framework to be more inclusive of other religions or sexual preferences. Nevertheless, the article fails to cite ways to ensure that the policy changes that should happen to Australian school curriculums can be made possible with the support and what kind of support should be seen in order for sex education to transform into something
Upon entering this course, my understanding of human sexuality was decent; I was aware of certain aspects of sexuality such as being straight, gay, lesbian, queer, transgender, etc. Nevertheless, I did not realize how expansive sexuality is; it never occurred to me that sexual health, prostitution, marriage, rape, sex trafficking, divorce, families, etc., all fell under the umbrella of human sexuality. Books and essays such as Renee Hill’s Walk Together and David Shneer’s “Out of School” showcased the multiple facets of human sexuality and how terms like queer are not directly related to homosexuality. While sexuality and homosexuality are linked, frequently, people mistake them as being synonymous; before entering this class, I was searching for a definition of sexuality, and often in the thesaurus section of dictionary websites homosexuality and or sexual orientation was considered a synonym of sexuality. Formerly, I too would have agreed they were the same, however, after taking this course, I concluded that homosexuality is just one topic in the broad discussion of sexuality. My understanding of sexuality now is that it