Schools

Last updated: 5 February 2024

GOVERNMENT POLICIES
Schools
New Zealand official policy and current situation relating to gender identity in schools

Puberty blockers

Schools

Gender identity in the school curriculum
Gender identity falls into the Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) unit taught within the health and physical education learning area. The New Zealand school curriculum is a broad document and does not contain specific reference to gender identity.

Gender identity in the curriculum guidance
Via its Te Kete Ipurangi site the Ministry of Education does provide guidance for schools on RSE that extends to inclusion policies within schools. Guidance:

specifies using names and pronouns that ākonga / students choose.
says that ākonga can access toilets and changing rooms that align with their gender identification specifically noting that "trans girls should be able to use the female toilets if they prefer to".
suggests science curriculum can "consider how biological sex has been constructed and measured over time" and "consider variations in puberty, including the role of puberty blockers"
Includes a glossary of terms.
Defines Gay as attraction to the same gender.
Defines Gender binary as the "(incorrect) assumption that there are only two genders (girl/boy or man/woman)" .
Defines Sex as "The biological characteristics of an individual (male, female, intersex)".
Defines Sex assigned at birth as "All babies are assigned a sex at birth, usually determined by a visual observation of external genitalia. A person’s gender may or may not align with their sex assigned at birth." (1)
Requires schools to consult with communities around RSE
Suggests that ākonga / students "Understand how sex, gender and sexuality might change across the lifespan" (2)

RSE Resource Collection
The TKI website provides a collection of resources for teachers. It includes links to the following organisations under sex, sexuality and gender diversity:

InsideOUT Kōaro
Rainbow Youth
Intersex Awareness New Zealand

Guide to LGBTQIA+ students

A section of the Ministry of Education's Te Kete Ipurangi website
Promotes Trans 101 video
Promotes InsideOUT's glossary of rainbow terms
Promotes InsideOUT's guidance for schools.

Making schools safer | InsideOUT | 2021
The Ministry of Education commissioned these guidelines which were written by InsideOUT. The focus is how schools can support. transgender, gender diverse and intersex students. Key messages:

Biological sex is not binary. "Although sex is often thought of as binary (that is, female or male), sex actually exists along a spectrum of different characteristics such as chromosomes and reproductive organs."
Staff should use students' preferred names and pronouns.
Staff should not disclose gender identity to anyone including parents and whānau unless permitted by student.
Students should use bathrooms and participate in sports that align with their gender identity.
The use of sex-based language such as girl and boy should be discouraged.

2023 Coalition Government Agreement | NZ First and National | 2023
In 2023 National formed a coalition with ACT and New Zealand First. In line with New Zealand First's election campaign the coalition government agreement includes the commitment to:

Refocus the curriculum on academic achievement and not ideology, including the removal and replacement of the gender, sexuality, and relationship-based education guidelines.

Additional sources