Students and teachers across New Zealand will be surveyed about sexual abuse and harassment.
Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti told 1 NEWS that two surveys will be carried out, as a result of the new relationships and sexuality education guidelines introduced late last year.
She said the guidelines also make it compulsory for all schools to teach sexual consent education.
“I want to see the results of those two surveys and I also want to see how embedded the guidelines are becoming into the curriculum and then I will be looking at decisions,” said Tinetti.
Police are continuing to investigate abuse claims at Christchurch Girls High, where 60 per cent of 700 students claim to have been sexually harassed in the community and twenty allege to have been raped.
“I think this is a wider issue among our young people I think we've got some systemic issues here that need addressing across all age groups,” said Tinetti.
Burnside High School’s head of health Emma Davison was pleased with the new direction.
“People need to make informed decisions and they have to make the best decision for them at the right time.
“If they’re not getting the information to make the informed decision then it's perhaps that’s where confusion takes place or people are unsure of what they should and shouldn’t do in certain situations,” said Davison.
She is hoping that there is more understanding of what students are dealing with and new pathways are found to support them
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