Sexual consent lessons more important than babies and body image, according to SA teens
Sex education needs to shift its focus from babies and body image, according to SA teens.
SA News
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Sex education is too focused on babies and body image and not enough on safe, modern sexual relationships, South Australian school students say.
SA Commissioner for Children and Young People Helen Connolly said since she took on the role as four years ago, sexual consent and its absence in formal education had been raised by young people as a serious issue of concern.
“Sexual consent is one of the most important issues to them, as is the lack of education around it, or that is too little, too late or out of touch with modern times,” Ms Connolly said.
“Young people have told me that there is too much of a focus on bodies and babies and not enough on the practical aspects of keeping sex safe and knowing what a healthy relationship looks like.”
Calls for earlier school-based sex education, particularly focusing on consent, have been echoed nationwide after a recent petition circulated by former Sydney schoolgirl Chanel Contos.
South Australian educators are responding.
The state’s leading boys’ and girls’ colleges are due to meet for discussion within weeks, and the State Government awaiting the Federal Government’s review of the Australian curriculum, including sex education.
Prince Alfred College headmaster Bradley Fenner said the all-boys’ R-12 college would join representatives of several leading single-sex schools, led by St Peters Girls, to share education programs and ideas.
Mr Fenner said PAC had initiated a working party of key pastoral staff and engaged advocate and expert for healthy and consenting relationships Dr Tessa Opie to review the school’s current pastoral program, which encompassed sex education.
“As a school community, we want to make sure we are doing things better,” Mr Fenner said.
Education Minister John Gardner said sex education was an important part of learning, and the government wanted to make sure the curriculum was right and schools had the necessary supports to create a culture of respect and safety.
The State Government is also updating and expanding its 2019 cross-sector guidelines on recognising and responding to sexual behaviour incidents to include prevention of concerning and harmful sexual behaviours.
SHINE SA, which runs relationship and sexual health programs in schools, said it was important for consent to be understood as a fundamental concept beyond being just tied to touch or sexual activity.
“Consent can be, and is, taught from a very early age regarding sharing or interaction with others, including the notion that consent can be withdrawn at any time, like saying, ‘I agreed to sharing my chips with you. But, when you started taking more than I thought you would, I stopped sharing’,” SHINE SA chief executive Natasha Miliotis said.
For support phone the national sexual assault counselling service on 1800 RESPECT.
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