Friday, April 12, 2019
Media Release
Family Planning is sad that in 2019 there is a petition circulating with extreme views on relationships and sexuality education, and which seeks to further exclude an already vulnerable group of young people.
Chief executive Jackie Edmond says New Zealand has a relationship and sexuality education curriculum and sexuality education guidelines which have educational excellence and the health and wellbeing of all young people at their core. School delivery of this curriculum is also done in consultation with parents and school communities. This petition in contrast is hurtful, exclusionary and based on intolerance.
“The school curriculum should not be determined by petition or protest but by experts, supported by parent consultation, acting in the best interests of all young New Zealanders. Moreover as the petition moves through the Select Committee process, it will open up opportunities for hurtful and harmful debate.
“We were reluctant to comment on it because the risk is that it gives the issue oxygen. It’s important though that organisations like ours – who work with young people everyday – speak out and speak up against such intolerance.”
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