Preparing your school community

It is important for children’s health and well-being that they receive positive messages about sexuality. Parents/carers and schools can work together to promote healthy attitudes and support healthy and safe development.

To encourage parent/carer support of a school sexuality education program schools can:

• provide information about sexuality education to help parents/carers to understand the importance of a program for the health and well-being of their child/ren
• reassure parents/carers that the school respects diversity within the community and acknowledges that parents/carers are the primary sexuality educators of their children
• support parents/carers to complement the sexuality education provided at school and reinforce learning at home (Blake, 2002)

Providing information to parents/carers

Enlisting the support of parents/carers in the planning of a sexuality education program improves communication between parents/carers, schools and students. Parents/carers are likely to be more supportive of a program when they have had some involvement. Providing information about sexuality education and the school program will also prepare parents/carers for questions from their children and assist them to provide sexuality education at home.

Some suggested strategies for involving parents/carers in preparing for a sexuality education program are:

• host a social events such as a morning or afternoon tea or BBQ to launch the program
• hold day and night meetings to inform parents/carers about the content of the program and to provide opportunities to view resources that may be used during the program
• hold several small sessions for parents/carers (such as class groups, year level groups or upper and lower school) rather than one large session, to encourage informal discussion
• use newsletters to remind parents and carers of the goals and content of the school sexuality program
• invite parents/carers to discuss individual issues with school staff
• assign homework as part of the sexuality education program that children can complete with their parents/carers
• offer resources on sexuality through the school library for parents/carers to borrow for themselves or their children
• involve parents/carers in the evaluation process and provide opportunities for them to offer feedback

Sample information session framework

NOTE: This framework is an example only and should be modified to meet the specific needs of a school community.

As parents/carers arrive, it is important that they are made to feel welcome and comfortable about the purpose of the meeting.

Suggested outline of parent/carer information session about sexuality education program:

• welcome
• discuss the aims and objectives of the information session
• discuss the objectives of sexuality education
• discuss the role of parents/carers in sexuality education
• discuss the role of teachers and schools in sexuality education
• sexuality education program outline
  • using overhead transparencies or PowerPoint, outline the length, content, resources and activities for the lessons at each year level
  • discuss the context for the program, such as expectations of students and the working agreement/guidelines that will be created with students
• questions and discussion
  • invite participants to ask any questions they may have about the program, either with the whole group or privately with the relevant staff member
  • respond positively to questions
  • acknowledge the complementary and distinct roles of families and schools as sexuality educators of children - affirm parents/carers as the primary sexuality educators of their children and the role of families to discuss and teach values and beliefs; and the role of schools and teachers to support families by providing accurate, factual and age appropriate information

For further information refer to:

• FPQ fact sheets and brochures

References