Health Education curriculum refresh (Years 11-13)

The Mental Health Foundation is pleased to see that mental health and wellbeing is a foundational concept in the draft Health Education curriculum for students in Years 11 to 13. However, we are concerned at the removal of Māori and other cultural perspectives on health and wellbeing from the curriculum, and the lack of inclusive information about relationship, gender, sex, and sexuality topics. We would like to see the draft curriculum amended to adequately cover these topics, and for the 2022 mental health education guide to be retained when the new curriculum is in place (to support schools to implement a "whole-of-school" approach to mental health education).