Promoting Student Health and Wellbeing

Relationship Education:
Guidance for schools addressing relationship violence and
promoting positive gender relations

Introduction

This document is part of a cross-sectoral government initiative, the Taskforce for Action on Violence within Families. The vision of the Taskforce is that all families and whānau have healthy, respectful, stable relationships which are free from violence.

Family violence is a complex issue involving many factors. Family values, beliefs and behaviours are a major influence on children’s and young people's attitudes and behaviour in relation to violence. Other major influences are their peers and wider social influences including various forms of media and cyber networking. Schools too can be an influencing factor through the values, ethos, goals and aspirations, support structures and curriculum learning they provide for their students. Schools’ influence may be formal or informal, conscious or unconscious.

This resource has been developed to assist principals, teachers and boards of trustees address relationship violence and promote positive gender relations to enhance student health and wellbeing through classroom learning and a safe supportive whole school environment. The approaches outlined in this resource promote a strength-based approach which parallels the Māori Potential Approach in Education (Ka Hikitia - Managing for Success ). It has been developed from an English medium perspective and may also be useful in Māori medium settings. While the resource is targeted universally rather than specifically for those students with special needs or at-risk students who require specialist assistance, it is assumed it will benefit all students.

The focus on Relationship Education addresses three relevant areas of learning: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), Sexuality Education and Violence Prevention Education. Such learning and development for young people can occur within classroom programmes as part of the New Zealand Curriculum and in school environments and wider social interactions. It will support schools to achieve the vision of young people who will be confident, connected, actively-involved, lifelong learners.(from the Introduction). The resources prepared by the Ministry of Education in 2015 (#4734 & 4736) draw on this report. This report is available as a Word DOC downloadable frome Ministry of Education website. Record #4735