New RSE curriculum raises cautious optimism
The new Relationships and Sexualtity Education curriculum in NZ receives an A- grade from RGE.
Resist Gender Education was formed in 2021 to advocate for scientifically accurate and age-appropriate relationships and sexuality education in NZ schools. Four long years later, with the release this week of a new RSE curriculum, we are hoping this is the beginning of accomplishing our mission.
RGE gives A- to the new RSE curriculum. It is hugely improved but there are still some areas needing attention.
Hopefully, the significant improvements in the curriculum will result in RSE being taught without ideology and in an age-appropriate way that can be supported by most parents. But there is still a consultation process and a resource development phase to go through, so the final outcomes are still far from certain.
What we asked for
Earlier this year, in our feedback to the draft RSE framework, we asked for the curriculy to:
Provide a simple, clear definition of sex that is based on gamete size.
Remove the word ‘gender’ entirely from RSE.
Fully discuss the reasons for having a legal age of consent for sex and reinforce individual autonomy in making sexual decisions, including abstinence as a choice.
Advance detailed discussions about contraception, STIs, etc to age groups closer to the age of consent.
Include abortion, pornography, and misogyny as topics to be covered.
Teach transgender ideation in Y10 as a set of beliefs held by some people, not as irrefutable fact.
Remove ‘intersex’ as a topic. As it is a very rare medical condition affecting only 1 in 5500 people, it is not a topic that needs to be part of compulsory RSE.
We are pleased that most of these requests have been fully or partially implemented.
No 2 - Gender identity
The most significant change is that there is no mention of ‘gender’ or ‘gender identity’ in the entire curriculum. The word ‘identity’ is still used a little at each year level but in the context of children having personal traits, not special ‘genders’.
No 3 - Age of consent
This law is explicity stated at Y8 and Y9, an important piece of knowledge that was missing in the previous curriculum.
In New Zealand, the legal age of consent for sexual activity is 16 years. Engaging in sexual activity with people below this age is considered unlawful under statutory provisions designed to protect young people from harm and exploitation.
No 4 - Contraception
As requested, this topic has been moved to Y10 where it is age-appropriate. (Students usually turn 15 or 16 in Y10).
Various forms of contraception (including abstinence, barrier methods, and hormonal options) can prevent unplanned pregnancies. Barrier methods can also reduce the risk of sexually transmissible infections (STIs).
Mentioning abstinence only once in the curriculum, in the context of contraception, is not sufficient. Abstinence should be discussed as a personal sexual choice, not just as a method of contraception.
Another gap is the lack of any reference to abortion. Although this is a contentious topic, students need to be informed about the availability of abortion as well as other options when faced with an unplanned pregnancy.
No 5 - Pornography
Sexualised content and pornography often omits key aspects of real intimacy such as consent and emotional connection. Stylised bodies and exaggerated behaviours are used to fit often unrealistic narratives.
We are pleased that this topic has been added and is first taught in Y8 as part of the comprehensive consent and online safety themes that run through the whole curriculum. Misogyny, an attitude that impacts on half the population, should also be added.
No 7 - Intersex
The word ‘intersex’ does not appear in the curriculum, but because there is no overarching definition of sex that confirms that 99.98% of humans are unequivocally known to be male or female at birth, confused teaching about this medical condition may continue.
What is still missing
No 1 - A simple, clear definition of sex that is based on gamete size.
In the draft framework, it was refreshing to see the reality of the sex binary reinforced in factual language:
…“male and female bodies have reproductive systems that work together during fertilisation” and “Females have ovaries, a uterus, and a vagina to make eggs and grow a baby. Males have testicles and a penis to make and deliver sperm.”
But these definitions of sex and reproductive roles have disappeared from the new curriculum, to be replaced by worringly imprecise language:
Conception usually occurs through sexual intercourse when sperm fertilises an egg, which is how human reproduction begins.
Why is the new curriculum being coy about which sex has the sperm and which one has the egg?
No 6 - Transgender ideation
The ‘transgender’ concept is not in the curriculum but RGE believes it cannot be ignored entirely in RSE. As gender ideology is now rampant throughout every kind of medium and youth culture, we recommend that it be taught in Y10, not as irrefutable fact as before, but as a set of beliefs held by some people. Students should be enabled to apply critical thinking skills to the tenets of the ideology. That transgenderism is missing from the curriculum perhaps indicates that the curriculum writing team could not agree on how to handle this hot topic.
Miscellaneous
The 2020 recommendation for “Sexuality issues [to be] explored across the curriculum, not just in health,” needs to be revoked and RSE lessons restricted to dedicated health education time.
Consideration should be given to tailoring RSE lessons to match the differing wishes of girls and boys that were identified by the ERO report into RSE. Feedback from teachers confirms that the often immature behaviour of boys acts as a significant restraint to girls’ participation in RSE discussions, especially for girls from ethnic or religious minorities.
Red flag language
Although the language in the curriculum is no longer overtly ideological there are still some red flags and loopholes that lobby groups or activist teachers could use to continue pushing their gender identity beliefs.
Puberty
In Y6, the curriculum manages to describe pubertal changes without mentioning which sex experiences which changes.
Menstruation is a natural process where the lining of the uterus breaks down and leaves the body through the vagina. People manage menstruation in different cultural and social contexts.
Emotional changes may occur during menstruation and there are practice strategies for self-care, like rest, gentle exercise, healthy eating, and seeking support from trusted adults.
Menstruation occurs alongside other pubertal changes, such as breast development, growth spurts, and body hair growth, and strategies (e.g. rest and hydration) can manage discomfort.
Physical changes during puberty can include sperm production, increased height, muscle growth, voice deepening, and the appearance of body hair.
The use of ‘people’ instead of ‘women and girls’ in the sentence about managing mensturation is a red flag loophole for continuing to teach children the falsehood that boys can have periods.
Diversity and inclusion
In Y4 children are taught:
Stereotypes negatively simplify complex social information by assigning fixed traits to groups; these negative assumptions can be challenged by exploring diverse perspectives and building inclusive relationships.
Avoiding assumptions based on group identity reduces bias and supports emotional safety, trust, and inclusion in social relationships.
While it is important for children to learn about the negative effects of stereotypes, the phrase exploring diverse perspectives could be a loophole for teaching that sex is a personal choice. This loophole could easily be avoided if the curriculum had a secure definition of ‘sex’ based on gamete size.
In Y5, there is another ‘inclusion’ red flag, this time implying that sport ought to be an open category:
Stereotypes in sports and hobbies shape expectations by reinforcing biases. This can deter people from participating, and influence how people are evaluated and included.
By Y7, the theme of ‘inclusion’ has developed into taking action.
Respecting diversity goes beyond being polite — it means actively noticing whose voices are missing, using inclusive language that reflects real understanding, and having the courage to challenge unfair treatment, even when it is uncomfortable.
Whenever talking about inclusion, the curriculum needs to be clear that children can only expect to be included into groups or spaces to which they belong and there is no right to be included in all groups or spaces based on personal wishes.
Affirmation
Be aware of language that represents ‘being kind’ as children having to surrender their own values. In Y6, children do need to know that their language choices affect others but that does not mean they should be coerced into agreeing with something that is not true - that a person has actually changed sex.
Behaviour can be affected by positive emotions such as happiness, excitement and love. Empathy for others involves moderating behaviour appropriately.
Language influences inclusion by signalling respect, bias, or belonging.
Using respectful communication strategies such as affirming language, tone awareness, and turn-taking in conversations that makes everyone feel welcome and avoids stereotypes
Practising respectful communication strategies that promote inclusion, prevent bullying, and support emotional safety in group settings
Other potentional red flag phrases are: personal identity, self-aligned choices, and exlusion based on identity.
Constraining the outside providers
Unless the Ministry of Education places firm constraints on resources produced by Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa (formerly Family Planning), InsideOUT, and Gender Minorities, these organisations are likely to continue to interpret the curriculum in whatever way they choose and maintain their outsized influence in our schools.
In May, RGE wrote to the Education Minister, Erica Stanford, to ask her to prevent inaccurate and inappropriate teaching resources from being marketed to schools by outside providers.
We suggested that the best way to ensure children are provided with accurate information in RSE is for the Ministry to do as it has done with maths and literacy and produce a standard set of workbooks for every year level.
Having standard workbooks would preclude interference from outside providers and would also prevent parents being denied access to RSE resources on spurious ‘copyright’ grounds. With MOE-produced workbooks it would be transparent to everyone what is to be taught, thus avoiding parental-school conflict and enabling parents to make fully informed decisions.
As has become the norm, we received no reply to this letter.
Consultation
The new RSE curriculum is open for consultation until April 2026, after which it will be adjusted and will become compulsory to teach from the beginning of 2027, although how the subject is taught will remain a decision for each school.
Parents will retain the right to withdraw their children from lessons apart from the lessons regarding consent which start in Year 1 with discussion about personal boundaries.
Now is your opportunity to influence what is in the final curriculum.
If you see the value in having standardised workbooks for RSE, please include the suggestion in your submission.
By Fern Hickson
Workbooks are the only way, and I would hasten to add, sent with a full resource list to Parents at least a month prior to timetabled classes, as a record of the curriculum, for accountability and for parents to maintain option to withdraw students.
We know otherwise how late digital edits, and separate resource lists added by *interested* parties can enter the classroom.
What are your thoughts on kids learning about DSDs in high school biology classes? I’m from a conservative part of the US and we learned about XXY males and X0 females in the genetic disorders unit