It includes age-appropriate understanding and exchange of lessons learned from consent, as well as recognizing situations where consent is not given.
Education Minister Erica Stanford said young people said a comprehensive consent education was needed.
This is after the 2024 report by the Education Review Office (ERO), and recently 75% of graduates believe they lack adequate education, consent, emotional management and personal safety.
Women’s Minister Nicola Grigg supports the initiative because, according to her, women in New Zealand are nearly three times more likely to experience sexual violence than men. She believes that comprehensive consent education can help with a cultural shift to healthier relationships.
Public feedback on the draft framework is open until 9 May 2025. Feedback from key stakeholders such as parents, educators and students will contribute to the final version, which is scheduled to be implemented in 2027. However, some educators expressed concerns about the limited counseling period and the removal of certain topics (such as gender diversity from new guidelines). They are concerned that the draft framework may not provide sufficient flexibility to meet the various needs of students.
