Sexuality and Relationships Education - Keeping Ourselves Safe - content approval process
Jonathan Visser made this Official Information request to Ministry of Education
Response to this request is long overdue. By law Ministry of Education should have responded by now (details and exceptions). The requester can complain to the Ombudsman.
From: Jonathan Visser
Hi - I would like to understand how the "Helen helps out" story (page 13, "Focus area 3 - No excuse for abuse", "Keeping Ourselves Safe (2020) - Middle primary") was assessed as appropriate for 9 and 10 year olds.
The story is published by the NZ Police here: https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default...
And is included in the Sexuality and Relationships Education curriculum for middle primary.
Can you please let me know:
1). What method was used to establish the age-appropriateness of the story for inclusion in the curriculum for the 9-10 year old age range?
2). Were any 3rd party organisations or professionals consulted to review the material and assess its appropriateness? And if so, who was involved?
Kind Regards
Jonathan
From: Enquiries National
Ministry of Education
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From: Enquiries National
Ministry of Education
Kia ora
Thank you for your request for information below. The Ministry will consider and respond to your request in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
Under section 15(1) of the Act, we are required to make and inform you of our decision on your request as soon as reasonably practicable and in any case not later than 20 working days after the day on which your request is received. You can therefore expect to receive our decision on your request on or before the 9th of December 2022. If more than 20 working days are needed due to the potential workload and/or consultations involved in answering your request, we will notify you accordingly.
Please note, the Ministry may publicly release on our website the response to your request five days after you have received it. Any personal information will be removed.
In the interim, if you have any questions about your request, please email [email address].
Ngā mihi
Enquiries National Team | Ministry of Education ^MC
education.govt.nz | Follow us on Twitter: @educationgovtnz
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From: Enquiries National
Ministry of Education
Kia ora
Please note the attached which relates to your OIA request.
Ngā mihi
Enquiries National Team | Ministry of Education ^MC
[1]education.govt.nz | [2]Follow us on Twitter: @educationgovtnz
[3]Te TD huhu o te MD tauranga
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From: Jonathan Visser
Dear Enquiries National,
Thank you so much for your fast response. You have referred my question to the authors of the Keeping Ourselves Safe document, the NZ Police. And I do want to understand their process as well.
But I understood that the document is approved by the Ministry of Education for use by schools as a key resource in their middle primary Relationship and Sexuality Education delivery. Is that not the case?
If this document is being recommended by the MoE, does the Ministry not review and approve the material before it references it as key resources for schools to delivery its curriculum?
And if the Ministry does review its recommended course material, what is the process and who is responsible?
And if there is a team responsible for reviewing and authorising recommended reference material for MoE curriculum, how can they have no record of reviewing or authorising this material?
Kind Regards
Jonathan Visser
From: Enquiries National
Ministry of Education
Tēnā koe mō tō īmēra mai ki te Tāhuhu o Thank you for your email to the
te Mātauranga. Ministry of Education.
He urupare aunoa tēnei hei whakaatu kua This is an auto generated response
tae mai tō īmēra confirming your email has been
ki a mātou. Kaua noa e whakautu i tēnei received. Please do not respond to this
karere. message.
Mea ake nei ka urupare tonu atu mātou ki We will respond to your email as soon
tō īmēra. as possible.
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From: Enquiries National
Ministry of Education
Kia ora Jonathan
Thank you for your follow up email regarding your OIA request on 18 November 2022, which is with New Zealand Police.
We have discussed your query with our Curriculum Centre team within the Ministry. They have advised that they aware of the Police’s “Keeping Ourselves Safe” programme, but that they were not involved with the design and delivery of this resource. They asked for us to note that the Ministry does not ‘approve’ resources they did not develop.
You may also be aware, schools are self-governing with their Board of Trustees setting the policies and procedures for the school. This includes the use of curriculum resources.
Ngā mihi
Enquiries National Team | Ministry of Education | IB
33 Bowen Street, Wellington
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From: Jonathan Visser
Thank you so much for your response and notes.
Does the Ministry in anyway endorse, or direct any schools to the "Keeping Ourselves Safe" programme?
Kind Regards
Jonathan
From: Enquiries National
Ministry of Education
Tēnā koe mō tō īmēra mai ki te Tāhuhu o Thank you for your email to the
te Mātauranga. Ministry of Education.
He urupare aunoa tēnei hei whakaatu kua This is an auto generated response
tae mai tō īmēra confirming your email has been
ki a mātou. Kaua noa e whakautu i tēnei received. Please do not respond to this
karere. message.
Mea ake nei ka urupare tonu atu mātou ki We will respond to your email as soon
tō īmēra. as possible.
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From: Enquiries National
Ministry of Education
Kia ora Jonathan
Thank you for your follow up email on 24 November 2022.
As noted below, the Ministry has not endorsed the resource in question.
As schools are self-governing, they are able to tailor their curriculum to meet the needs of their ākonga and local community. This means they may draw upon a range of sources and materials to implement their curriculum.
If you have a concern about a particular school and their curriculum, you may contact their Board of Trustees. Boards are required to consult with their school community at least every two years about their local health curriculum to ensure it meets the needs of all their learners and whānau, including resources or programmes they may use to help support curriculum delivery.
Thank you again,
Ngā mihi
Enquiries National Team | Ministry of Education ^MC
education.govt.nz | Follow us on Twitter: @educationgovtnz
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From: Jonathan Visser
Hello and thank you for your response and suggestions regarding the school Board.
You have said that the Ministry has not endorsed the resource and, also, that the Ministry was "... not involved with the design and delivery of this resource".
I have a response back from the Police who state that "Both the story and resources were developed consultatively and collaboratively by New Zealand Police, the Ministry of Education and many other
professionals involved in the youth arena." And that "The Keeping Ourselves Safe (KOS) programme was developed with Minister of Education endorsement that his department work with Police to develop a suitable programme".
They also state that the following organisations were consulted: "the University for South Australia, Nanyang University, the Ministry of Education New Zealand, the Education Review Office, the Universities of Otago, Victoria, and Auckland, and latterly Core Ed in 2019/20".
These responses seem contradictory. I would grateful if you could help me understand which assertion is correct, that of the Police or that of the Ministry of Education.
Kind Regards
Jonathan
From: Enquiries National
Ministry of Education
Tēnā koe mō tō īmēra mai ki te Tāhuhu o Thank you for your email to the
te Mātauranga. Ministry of Education.
He urupare aunoa tēnei hei whakaatu kua This is an auto generated response
tae mai tō īmēra confirming your email has been
ki a mātou. Kaua noa e whakautu i tēnei received. Please do not respond to this
karere. message.
Mea ake nei ka urupare tonu atu mātou ki We will respond to your email as soon
tō īmēra. as possible.
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From: Enquiries National
Ministry of Education
Kia ora Jonathan,
Thank you for your response on 5 December 2022.
We understand that Robert Sum from New Zealand Police has been in correspondence with you regarding this matter to clarify any confusion.
We also understand that Mr Sum will speak with you again in the new year. Any further questions can be directed to him.
Ngā mihi
Enquiries National Team | Ministry of Education | IB
8 Gilmer Terrace, Wellington
education.govt.nz
He mea tārai e mātou te mātauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai ōna huanga
We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent outcomes
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