[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Standardised Sex and Relationships Program Needed_C O'Connor MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

STANDARDISED SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS PROGRAM NEEDED TO HELP PROTECT YOUNG
TASMANIANS

Despite Premier's Claims to the Contrary

Cassy O'Connor MP
Greens Youth Spokesperson

Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today called on Education Minister and Premier
David Bartlett to direct his Education Department to implement a
standardised sex and relationships learning program in all public
Tasmanian primary and secondary schools in order to protect the health
and wellbeing of young Tasmanians into the future.

Greens Youth spokesperson Cassy O'Connor MP said despite Premier
Bartlett's claims to the contrary in Parliament, Tasmania currently
lacks a standardised statewide sex and relationships education
curriculum, leading to the current situation where Tasmania has the
second-highest rates of teenage pregnancy and Chlamydia transmission in
the nation.  

Ms O'Connor also accused Mr Bartlett of buck-passing the responsibility
for providing this critical component of education onto school
communities. 

"Instead of misleading the Parliament and people of Tasmania about sex
education in public schools, David Bartlett needs to listen to the
experts and immediately move to implement a standardised sex and
relationships curriculum in Tasmania's public education sector," said Ms
O'Connor.

"The systemic failure to provide a standardised sex and relationships
curriculum in public schools has led to a number of lifelong adverse
health outcomes for young Tasmanians, including high rates of teenage
pregnancy and Chlamydia transmission."

"The Premier's belief that this issue is the responsibility of school
communities indicates that he is well aware of the lack of a
standardised statewide sex education program."

"There is a crying need for a standardised sex and relationships
curriculum, and Premier Bartlett needs to pull his head out of the sand
and direct the Education Department to implement a standardised sex
education program on a statewide basis," said Ms O'Connor.


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Attached: Notice of Motion tabled by Cassy O'Connor MP in Parliament
today (26 August 2009):

That the House:

1. Notes that despite the Education Minister's claims to the contrary in
Parliament, Tasmania has no standardised, statewide sex education
curriculum - a fact publicly confirmed by Family Planning Tasmania and
General Practice Tasmania;

2. Notes that in buck-passing responsibility for providing this critical
component of any child's personal development to school communities, the
Education Minister is unable to guarantee that every student has access
to comprehensive sex and relationships education, and that this is
placing young Tasmanians at risk;

3. Agrees with the statement made by General Practice Tasmania
spokesperson, Judith Watson (and reported in the Mercury on the 9th of
August this year), that "There is this potential risk where the
discretion of the school or individual could potentially compromise the
education provided on sex in this current system."

4. Acknowledges with alarm that this systemic failure is leading to
lifelong adverse health outcomes for young Tasmanians, and that Tasmania
has the second highest rates of teenage pregnancy and Chlamydia
transmission in the nation;

5. Calls on the Education Minister to listen to the experts in this
field, and to direct his Department to implement a standardised sex and
relationships learning program in all Tasmanian public primary and
secondary schools in order to protect the health and wellbeing of young
Tasmanians into the future.




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