What RSE is and why it’s important

Relationships and sexuality education (RSE) is one of the seven key areas of learning within the health and physical education learning area of the New Zealand Curriculum (2007).

RSE is critical to the learning, development, and wellbeing of Aotearoa New Zealand’s young people. Well delivered, comprehensive RSE equips young people with the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions about their lives and navigate important topics such as consent, healthy relationships, pubertal changes, and online safety. When reinforced by open conversations at home with parents or caregivers, RSE ensures consistent messaging and deepens students’ understanding of themselves and others.

Schools are currently required under the Education and Training Act 2020 (the Act) to consult with their community on their planned health education programme. Families may have different reasons, such as cultural values and religious beliefs, for choosing to withdraw their children from sexuality education. The Act allows parents to withdraw their young person from all or any part of sexuality education by written request.

The framework is for testing and early consultation about the age-appropriate RSE content to teach at each year of schooling.

It clearly outlines what will be taught at each year level in RSE, supporting parents and whānau to have open conversations with their children and their school prior to this learning taking place.

The draft RSE framework does not require schools to change their planned delivery of health education in 2025. Existing planning remains relevant as it aligns to the 2007 version of The New Zealand Curriculum and is informed by your community consultation.

Why a draft RSE framework has been developed

The RSE guidelines were removed earlier this year as we focus on developing a knowledge-rich curriculum grounded in the science of learning. RSE sits within the health and physical education learning area of The New Zealand Curriculum, which is currently being updated.

The draft RSE framework sets out the proposed teaching to be covered in RSE each year. The focus is on ensuring RSE content is age-appropriate, evidence-informed, internationally comparable, and clear about what to teach and when from Years 0 to 13.

This responds to research from the Education Review Office (ERO) undertaken last year, which found there is too much inconsistency in what RSE is being taught and when, and it often depends on where a child goes to school.

This draft framework is not a compulsory part of the curriculum. Your feedback on the framework will help to inform decisions around the RSE teaching and learning to be included in the refreshed health and physical education learning area. A draft of this learning area will be available for feedback later this year.

How we have developed the draft framework

The draft RSE framework has been developed by curriculum subject matter experts and quality assured by both internal and external experts. The draft framework has also been informed by how RSE is taught in other countries including Australia, England, Canada and Singapore.

It is now critical that we have feedback from the wider community, including teachers, leaders, students and their parents and caregivers.

We value your input and appreciate your insights to help us ensure our young people have access to consistent and age-appropriate RSE.

What you need to know about the draft framework

The draft RSE framework is for schools and kura using The New Zealand Curriculum only. Content for the teaching of RSE for schools and kura using Te Marautanga o Aotearoa will be updated through the revised Waiora wāhanga ako, due to be released in Term 4.

The content of this framework has been written in language to reflect the age of the learner. The statements of teaching and learning have been arranged in a year-by-year sequence. It is intended that some learning is repeated in successive years to ensure ideas are being understood and embedded as children develop physically, socially and cognitively.

When engaging with the content of this framework, respondents should consider the age appropriateness for each phase of learning, whether the content is comprehensive and if you feel anything should be removed or added.

Have your say

The consultation period is open from 11 April – 9 May 2025. We welcome you to have your say and share your expertise and insights on these very important topics.

You can read the draft RSE framework using the link below or going to Materials that come with this resource above:

Draft-RSE-framework-for-consultation-April (.pdf)

Have your say on the framework here:

https://education.surveymonkey.com/r/3LWYQWV

There will be further opportunities to have your say on RSE, with wider consultation on the full health and physical education learning area of The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) planned to begin in Term 4, 2025.

What’s next?

The consultation period for the framework will close on Friday 9 May, 2025. Once the consultation closes, feedback will be consolidated into key actions and incorporated into the design of the health and physical education learning area. The updated learning area will be released for consultation in Term 4, 2025.

The updated health and physical education learning area is planned to be gazetted in 2026 and required for use from 2027. The Government intends to move into a regular update cycle for the curriculum, as occurs in other jurisdictions, to avoid the need for wholesale reform and ensure our national curriculum remains up-to-date and future-focused.

Contact us  

If you have any questions or need guidance, please contact us at [email protected]