2026 Relationships & Sex/Sexuality Education Submission Guide

Posted: March 11, 2026Categories: , , , , , ,

2026 Relationships & Sex/Sexuality Education Submission Guide

Have you signed and shared our petition? Please do so now!

The National-led government’s proposed replacement for Relationships & Sexuality Education (RSE) for Years 0-9 is currently out for consultation (as part of the proposed Health & PE Curriculum) until Fri 24 April 2026 – and quite frankly, it’s terrible.

The government’s proposal for Relationships & “Sex” (not Sexuality) Education is regressive, colonial, heteronormative, cis-normative, and monocultural. Their racist, transphobic and homophobic changes from the approach of the fit-for-purpose 2020 RSE guidelines will put everybody at higher risk of bullying, abuse and violence than they would be with good RSE. The proposal does not support children and rangatahi as much as it could or should, to be understanding of themselves and respectful of each other.

The good news: our young people and most of our communities are far more progressive than the current government is, and we have a chance of putting good RSE on the agenda in the medium term. We are keen for as many people as possible to let the politicians know that unnecessarily reducing RSE’s effectiveness as a tool for violence prevention is unacceptable and, that instead, we need to increase its strength as a tool for respect, health relationship norms, safe online behaviour, and self-esteem for all our young people. As with the government’s pay equity cancellations, halting of ACC sexual violence prevention intiatives and de-funding of women’s self-defence, the government’s dismantling of our key, world-leading violence prevention tool is harmful for women and their communities (ie, everyone).

(This guide will be updated as new details and resources come to hand. Last updated: 9 March 2026)

Key points:

Who is the audience?

What do we/I say?

  • You want the decision-makers to know that you care, and that education regarding relationship norms (including consent), sexual self-identity, and online behaviour affects you and/or your loved ones and/or your community as a whole.
  • Say who you are
    • in relation to children and rangatahi: student, parent, teacher, aunty, community member etc.
    • if you feel comfortable and safe to do so, you might also state your ethnic, gender and sexuality identities, however you would express them. It may be useful for the reader to know of the lived experience insights and/or solidarity/ allyship that you bring with you – including if you are not part of any group usually targeted by family violence and sexual violence. (“eg, I am a straight Pākehā cis man and I am appalled that the RSE proposal will deny my sons and other people like me access to the tools to understand and respect diverse identities, while understanding and navigating our own privilege.”)
  • Say RSE is important, and why you think so. For example, the Auckland Women’s Centre sees RSE as the country’s key opportunity for widespread violence prevention because it is taught to so many children and rangatahi, and it can create health and respectful relationship norms, and support personal and social wellbeing and confidence. Violence prevention is keenly important given a third of women (for example) have experienced sexual violence in Aotearoa NZ. We need a cultural shift.
  • List the features RSE needs to include to meet the aims you see for it: For example, in order to be effective violence prevention, supporting healthy relationship norms, mutual respect and wellbeing online and face-to-face, RSE in Aotearoa NZ needs to:
    • Honour te Tiriti o Waitangi
    • Be inclusive of Mātauranga Māori
    • Be inclusive of all genders and sexualities
    • Be taught consistently across schools (while ensuring parents always have the right to remove their children if they wish)
    • Be evidence-based for violence prevention (eg ensure consent education is best practice, and it includes information on how to engage in healthy romantic relationships and identify those that are unhealthy or abusive)
    • Be updated regularly in a process led by experts, including Māori experts
  • Write from the heart – from your experience: What can you tell the reader that they cannot see or hear from anybody else? Many of our submissions will say similar things – useful to reinforce shared messages – but it is the story or the phrase which is real experience that will help drive that message home. Eg have you seen positive behaviour which has been influenced by community norms? Have you seen negative or unsafe behaviour which you would want RSE to address and/or aim to prevent in future? What is your vision of the future – for your whānau, your friends – that RSE would help to support?

Further information

  • Auckland Women’s Centre also supports the views of other aligned organisations whose information and expertise differ from ours. For example:
    • Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa has concerns about huge gaps in the curriculum regarding puberty and the body.
    • Backbone Collective’s submission on an earlier draft of the government’s proposal looked at whether RSE would assist children who have already been the victim of sexual abuse or other family violence.
  • Look out for our more detailed submission here in mid-April – but in the meantime, the information (including in the updates at the bottom of the page) in  our RSE petition might also be useful. But it’s best to write in your own words – and from your own insights and experience.

Thank you for your care and effort in joining us on advocating for what’s best for the next generation of women and everyone!  Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui!