12. Question No. 12—EducationCHRIS BAILLIE (ACT) to the Minister of EducationQuestion No. 12—Education12. CHRIS BAILLIE (ACT) to the Minister of Education: Does she agree that the Relationships and Sexuality Education: A Guide for Teachers Leaders and Boards of Trustees resource produced by the Ministry of Education must" be included in teaching programmes for years 1 to 8 children and that "the school does not need to seek parents' or caregivers' permission for ākonga to participate in the programme"?Hon JAN TINETTI (Minister of Education): Within the New Zealand curriculum health and physical education which includes relationships and sexuality must be taught. However the document the member refers to is a guide and not a requirement. Under the Education and Training Act 2020 schools have a legal obligation to consult with their communities at least every two years about their local health curriculum. Under the Act parents and caregivers still have the right to withdraw their child from relationships and sexuality education by written requests to the school.Chris Baillie: What should a parent do if they don't want teachers talking to their children about gender identity and gender diversity given that the guidelines suggest the curriculum programmes could be integrated into English science technology maths and statistics languages and social sciences?Hon JAN TINETTI: I have just said in my primary answer that they should write to the school. But I will actually read here what it does say about the suggested learning intentions—that in that guide it says it can be taught across the curriculum. In English for example it could explore and critique the representation of gender roles and relationships in text. Therefore it could look at gender stereotyping—for example women going to the supermarket all the time.Chris Baillie: Does the Minister think that parents should have greater involvement over the delivery of relationship and sexuality education in schools?Hon JAN TINETTI: I will refer to my primary answer. Can I read the part from those guidelines where it says schools teachers and parents or caregivers have some particular rights and responsibilities around requests for children to be withdrawn from aspects of the sexuality programme responding to children's questions on sensitive issues. Firstly the way that this happens is that schools must legally consult with their school community on what they are planning to teach in their local health curriculum. The school board of trustees then decides what the curriculum will be taking into consideration the consultation from the community and the professional guidelines provided by the ministry. The school does not have to seek further consultation or permission from parents at this stage. However if parents wish to remove their child from this part of the curriculum they can do so.Chris Baillie: Can the Minister explain why enabling year 1 to 8 children to "interrogate the ongoing effects of colonisation" is relevant to relationship and sexuality education for five- to 12-year-olds?Hon JAN TINETTI: The guidelines the member is referring to have been developed by experts. What I will say is that as a teacher I know from being a teacher that when you put learning into the context of the learner the educational outcomes are more powerful.Chris Baillie: What teacher professional development has been provided to teach relationships and sexuality education or can anyone do it?Hon JAN TINETTI: Professional learning and development is part of the contract system. When a school decides that that is what they want to focus on they will make those applications to the Ministry of Education or they will contract those private providers themselves. But it's up to the school to determine where their strengths lie and also where their weaknesses lie and what professional development they need as a school."