Hey Caddyshackers  

This time last year, back in November 2023 we hosted a live webinar (not recorded) about the National Curriculum of Sex Ed for schools with guest Eliza Basheer, Sexual Health Promotion Program Manager from the STI Programs Unit at NSW Health.

The webinar really got us thinking about our first experiences of sex education and what young people are experiencing today. Plus in preparing for the webinar we became real nerds in the subject area, so we thought we would re-purpose the info and share it as a blog post!

We hear about sex education, sexuality education, sexual health education but then also consent education… is there one ‘correct’ term we should be using? 

Perhaps the most well-known term from both an international and also best practice approach is “Comprehensive Sexuality Education” (CSE). According to the International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education, CSE is a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning about the cognitive, emotional, physical and social aspects of sexuality. It aims to equip children and young people with knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that will empower them to: realize their health, well-being and dignity; develop respectful social and sexual relationships; consider how their choices affect their own well-being and that of others; and, understand and ensure the protection of their rights throughout their lives. 

In New South Wales (NSW), the syllabus refers to Sexuality and Sexual Health Education or SSHE. It is under SSHE that key topics like relationships, consent and sexual health are taught. 

SSHE is taught in NSW from Kindergarten to Year 10, in age and developmentally appropriate ways as part of the NESA (NSW Education Standard Authority) PDHPE K-10 syllabus. For students in senior years, they have the opportunity to extend their learning about sexuality and sexual health through the 25 hour Life Ready course. This is primarily for students in Government schools, however, the other school sectors have their own opportunities too.  

It’s important to note that within NSW, consent education or the teaching of consent was made mandatory in 2023. Consent is a concept that is embedded within the delivery of SSHE and includes which includes coercion, gendered stereotypes and power imbalances – from foundation to year 10.

Check out the Australian Government campaign ‘Consent Cant Wait’ if you haven’t seen this already.

Where do young people get their Sexuality and Sexual Health education from? 

The 2021 National survey of Australian secondary students involved 6, 841 young people aged 14 to 18 years. This periodic survey of sexual health among school-aged young people in Australia began in 1992 and reports on a range of issues related to sexual identity and experiences, STI and HIV prevention, and relationships and sexuality education.  

“Despite young people having access to online digital spaces for sex education, 3 of the top 4 sources of information on SSHE are still ‘trusted human sources.”

We can see that almost three-quarters of young people reported that school was a source of some learning about sex and sexual health and that teachers, school nurses, counsellors, lessons or school-based health promotion were trusted sources of information about these matters. Which is great! 

Over 95% of young people reported that they believe relationships and sexuality education (RSE) is an important part of the school curriculum, and 93% reported receiving RSE at school, most commonly in Years 8 and 9. However, only 24.8% reported that their most recent RSE class was very or extremely relevant to them.  

LGBTIQ+ young people were less likely than heterosexual young people to report that the RSE they received was relevant to them (20.9% compared to 27.5%). Trans and non-binary young people were less likely than cisgender young people to report that the RSE they received was relevant to them (19.8% compared to 28.7% of young men and 23.4% of young women).  

Most commonly, young people reported that their RSE classes included discussion of puberty (71.0%), correct names for sexual body parts (67.5%), female reproduction (64.1%) and respectful relationships (60.8%). The least discussed topics were having sex with someone with a disability (3.5%), and anal sex (6.1%).

Young people commented that they would like RSE to include topics about gender and sexual diversity, masturbation, pleasure, how to talk to sexual partners, consent, and where to seek help about sexual health.  

SSHE experiences 

A Caddyshack Project team member recently acquired their (slightly) older cousin’s collection of MAD Magazines. A comical publication which had its heyday back in the 80’s and 90’s.

An issue from August 1993 titled “Sex and Dating – Bona Fide classics on romance and lust!” took us all back to our own sex education initiation moments and got us to thinking “what do you remember about your first sex education experience?” 

Today’s young people have the internet as a source for sex and relationship information (for nearly 60% of young people according to the secondary school survey) and streaming shows such as “Sex Education”.

It wasn’t that long ago we were referencing the sealed sections of Dolly Magazine and borrowing the books stashed on the bottom shelf of the library to make some sense of what parents, carers and teachers were referring to as the “Birds and the Bees”! 

When Eliza and the Caddyshack Project team reflected on their first sex-ed experiences, here are some common trends appeared. 

Memory 1

“I remember going to my very first lesson about puberty, sex and relationships with my mum. I was in Year 4, and my school put on an after-school session that was facilitated by an external organisation.

I was quite curious about it all, but also slightly mortified that I was learning while sitting next to mum! I think there were a lot of other kids in the same boat as me… lots of red faces afterwards and that includes the parents too!

From that day, I remember the book ‘Puberty Girl’ magically appeared on my bedside table one night. While I have positive memories of school sex ed, moving into the later adolescent and young adult worlds, I realised there was lots I didn’t know”. 

Memory 2

“I was in Year 5 primary school and after class all year 5 & 6 kids went to the hall with their parents. I remember the discussion mostly around anatomy of sex, puberty, periods and pregnancy. I remember discovering that your period went for a week and I was devastated. I thought it was a one trip to the bathroom thing! There was nothing about consent or pleasure of course!” 

“There was an after school event in the big hall where an external educator came in and spoke to us about periods, sex etc. I was sitting between my school friend and my mum. Friends were talking about sex before this session. Do you remember the coloured plastic friendship bracelet things? We all talked about how different colours meant different things. So like the pink was you have kissed someone, orange you have touched someone, yellow was oral sex, blue was just friends etc. I can't remember all the colours. But the black one meant P in V sex! The scandal!” 

Memory 3

“We were separated into males and females and taken into separate halls at primary school for ‘The Talk’ with no prior warning that this was happening. Most of it seemed to be about periods. I can’t recall any information at high school. My mother told me to "keep my knees together"! All my intel was derived from magazines (discovered a stash of Playboy magazines at a friends house that her dad had) and sex scenes described in books and by peers. Have to say, the books “Princess Daisy" by Judith Krantz and “Clan of the Cave Bear"  by Jean M. Auel were eye opening”. Looking back, singing along to the lyrics of Greased Lightning in 1979 with no idea what was really being sung about!”

Memory 4

“We were so excited for our sex-ed sessions in Year 6 as it meant we got to care for our “egg babies” These were blown out eggs that we decorated and carried around in baskets with little blankets for a week, showing we could be “responsible” parents if the egg didn’t break! The education itself was delivered in the 80’s classic “where did I come from” film clip and other sources of information came in the form of a “Periods” book from an older cousin and reading “Forever” by Judy Blume. I don’t recall what was said in the high school session (it was a one off in Year 9) we were too busy snickering at the teacher delivering the information as their fly was down! There was certainly a lot more focus on drug and alcohol education, living in the era of Anna Wood and ecstasy”. 

Compared to the curriculum today and the standards set out in the syllabus, the team reflected on our experiences and wondered “was that even Sex Ed?”. We are so thankful to the experienced and committed teachers delivering SSHE across the state today.

Why is Sex Ed so important? 

We reckon it’s safe to say that our blog audience knows about the benefits of young people wanting Sex Ed that’s inclusive, holistic and representative of their real-life experiences. But let’s expand in case you’re still unsure, undecided or not convinced, which is also totally ok! 

It’s important to properly set the scene and discuss the impact of low or no sex education. Education, and therefore as an extension, sex education, is a human right. Respect for sexual rights underpins inclusive sexuality education, universal access to sexual and reproductive health care, and protection from sexual violence and discrimination.  

We know that sexuality and sexual health education develops students’ knowledge and skills to understand and feel confident about the physical, social and emotional changes they will experience. 

UNESCO has conducted two evidence reviews, one in 2008 and the other in 2016. This research, and that of many others has found that CSE programs contribute to the following outcomes in young people:  

• Delayed initiation of sexual intercourse  

• Decreased frequency of sexual intercourse 

• Decreased number of sexual partners  

• Reduced risk taking  

• Increased use of condoms  

• Increased use of contraception

Sexuality education – in or out of schools – does not increase sexual activity, sexual risk-taking behavior or STI/HIV infection rates.  

Sexuality education has positive effects, including increasing young people’s knowledge and improving their attitudes related to SRH and behaviors. Nearly all sexuality education programs that have been studied increase knowledge about different aspects of sexuality and the risk of pregnancy or HIV and other STIs. 

Programs that promote abstinence-only have been found to be ineffective in delaying sexual initiation, reducing the frequency of sex or reducing the number of sexual partners. 

Using an explicit rights-based approach in CSE programs leads to short-term positive effects on knowledge and attitudes, including;

• increased knowledge of one’s rights within a sexual relationship

• increased communication with parents about sex and relationships

• and greater self-efficacy to manage risky situations.

There are also longer term significant, positive effects found on psychosocial and some behavioral outcomes. 

Sexuality education is most impactful when school based programs are complemented with community elements, including;

• condom distribution

• providing training for health providers to deliver youth-friendly services

• and involving parents and teachers. 

In case you missed this piece of news: The number of teenage abortions in Finland fell by 66% between 2000 and 2023. Its public health institute THL said, attributing the reduction to the offer of free contraception to adolescents and compulsory sex education in schools.

Who’s responsible for delivering Sex Ed? 

We know that parents and carers are the first and ongoing educators of young people. Parents and carers have a shared responsibility, along with schools and other important people in a young person’s life to determine what is considered appropriate, which includes sharing information as well as sharing personal and cultural values with young people.  

As we stated, schools and teachers also have a vital role to play in supporting the CSE of young people. Schools working in partnership with families and the community is referred to as the whole-of-community approach, which is more likely to lead to CSE programs which are relevant, culturally appropriate, engaging and more effective.

Families also benefit from a partnership approach to CSE or in NSW SHHE with schools. Schools can share important information with families to support them in talking to their young people.  

There is no ‘one or sole’ person responsible for delivering CSE to a young person. It’s important we all work together within our roles to support young people and equip them with the skills, knowledge and boundaries they need to navigate their sexuality, relationships and experiences as they age in a safe and responsible way. 

The research

This research project by highly respected academic and sexual health educator Jacqueline Hendriks and their colleagues aimed to understand what Australian parents think about school relationship and sexuality education.  

Sticking with the research, The Conversation also published an article in 2022 that reported four out of five parents support teaching gender and sexuality diversity in Australian schools.  

Ultimately, we want a partnership between parents and schools to provide safe spaces for young people to feel supported and confident to talk about these topics at school and at home.  

Teachers and Sex Ed 

There are some amazing teachers out there doing the work every day with compassion and understanding and being that safe person for young people to access. 

The National Survey of Australian Teachers of Sexuality Education tells us that many teachers are avoiding delivering certain CSE topics due to fear of community backlash. We think we can all agree that Australian teachers need to be supported to create a school culture where students can feel safe, welcome and informed about their relationships and sexual health. 

As health promotion officers within the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, we often get asked if we go into schools. But as a small team, our role is to provide resources and education as we build the capacity of teachers and community workers to deliver these key messages to young people.

Though we do a have a little dream of the Harold the Giraffe type van going around delivering Sex Ed.

In the Illawarra Shoalhaven we do deliver some small group education with students in out of school and alternative school settings, however this is not at a large scale and is not reflective of what is happening across the state and nationally.  We also work in the digital space in online settings reaching young people through social media campaigns and website hubs like Play Safe NSW, the International Student Health Hub and Take Blaktion.  

At a state-wide level there are a range of resources, support and training available for schools and teachers to effectively deliver CSE, or SSHE within NSW schools. The Department of Education, and other school sectors, provide a range of professional learning materials to enhance teacher’s understanding of the NSW PHDPE K-10 syllabus and effective delivery of SSHE.  

Non Government Organisations like Family Planning NSW also offer a range of courses and workshops to support teachers to upskill in the delivery of CSE. You can check out their website for a comprehensive list of their courses, teaching materials (including lesson plans, resources, games and activities) and more.  

Other agencies like Interrelate, Consent Labs and Learning Consent, and more, also offer in-classroom teaching where external facilitators will deliver expert session. Check out On The Couch when we hosted Dr Tessa Opie & her colleague Kerrin Bradfield from Respect Collective. This is a dynamic collaboration between two of Australia's most respected sexuality educators striving to ignite a transformative shift in societal attitudes towards relationships and sexuality. 

What next? 

What’s insightful, is that parents wanted education around the topics of sex, safer sex practices, sexting, contraception and pornography to start in years 7 and 8. As per the curriculum guidelines, schools are not delivering this sexuality education until years 9 and 10. 

Remember that the secondary student’s survey also showed that 93% of students reported receiving RSE at school most commonly in years 8 and 9. However, only 24.8% reported that their most recent RSE class was very or extremely relevant to them. This information shows there is diversity within young people and that age and stage appropriate information is inclusive and relevant.

One of our fav resources is Talk Soon Talk Often a free resource that has been developed to help parents and carers initiate regular and relaxed conversations with their children and young people aged 0-18 years about relationships and sexuality education in an age and stage appropriate manner. You can order a hard copy from us here.

If you’re a teacher or youth and community worker working with a group of young people and needing support to deliver Sex Ed. We have produced a series of lesson plans and presentations with an accompanying resource kit which includes a banana demo penis, condom, o-cube, internal condom and oral dam. You can order this for free from us here.

Teachers are superheroes who often wear many capes and deliver excellent sexuality and sexual health education in a rapidly changing environment! There are always avenues to improve what we do and how we do it, and the increasing attention being given to consent education and wider CSE is a great step in the right direction. 

Final thoughts 

In the last few years, we have seen an overhaul in consent education.  

Consent education was mandated in all Australian schools in 2023, however, the current NSW consent education course was made mandatory in 2022 before it was a national requirement. We are seeing increasing recognition on the importance of CSE, consent education and embedding the development of life skills among teaching which is great.  

What has really stood out for us has been youth-led advocacy. It’s been phenomenal to see young people advocate and demand better educational experiences when it comes to SSHE and encouraging that professionals are listening and responding.   

What We’re Loving 

The Netflix show Sex Education is fantastic and if you haven’t watched the four seasons yet, we really encourage you to. This show started a conversation, as it highlights the need for more comprehensive sexual education not only in schools but in communities and at home. Although the show Sex Education is teaching viewers about sex and sexuality, it really should be adding to rather than replacing Sex Ed in schools. 

Lastly (phew) we REALLY recommend reading Legitimate Sexpectations by Katrina Marson. 

Can we promise future generations a life free of sexual violence, in which their sexual wellbeing will be protected?

As a sexual offence's prosecutor, Katrina Marson works for an institution that can only respond, one case at a time, to sexual violence once the damage is already done.

After a decade of looking back, she kept returning to a single question- what could have been done to prevent this? 

Legitimate Sexpectations exposes the limits of the criminal justice system and the fault lines in our society when it comes to sex, sexuality, and relationships.

Through storytelling that moves between heartbreak and hope, Marson makes the case for a cultural shift towards valuing sexual wellbeing and preventing sexual violence in the first place.  

Still to come in 2024!

Get your free tickets and be part of the live online audience for upcoming On The Couch episodes. Here is the line up still to come this year!

In November with Positive Speakers Bureau

Register here

We have busy behind the scenes turning the webinars into podcasts which we launched in July. Have a listen on your favourite podcast app, just search On The Couch!

Until next time,

Peace, Love & Protection

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