Consent and respectful relationships education
Education in Consent and Respectful Relationships in Catholic schools seeks to help children and young people to grow and develop into healthy, mature adults, capable of realising their full potential created in the image and likeness of God. Grounded in the Christian understanding of the dignity of the person and the sacredness of life, education in Consent and Respectful Relationships in Catholic schools must be consistent with the Church鈥檚 moral and social teaching, including respect, tolerance, and acceptance of others.
Statement of Intent: Our shared commitment
Catholic Schools 黑料社 is a signatory to the Statement of Intent: Our shared commitment, which has been made on behalf of the 黑料社 school sectors. We commit to identifying and taking concrete actions that will strengthen children and young people鈥檚 ability to form healthy relationships and prevent harmful situations, both at school and outside the school gates.
The CRRE project
CS黑料社 is the Program Administrator on behalf of the Catholic education sector in 黑料社 for the Commonwealth funded Consent and Respectful Relationships Education (CRRE) project.
This project is designed to support the wellbeing of Australian primary and secondary school students, as well as school communities more broadly, through investment in expert-developed, high-quality, evidence-based and age-appropriate CRRE.
The overarching goal is to prevent gender-based violence by educating young people on topics such as consent, empathy, communication, and healthy relationships. This education is intended to foster a safer and more respectful society.
The role of parents and carers
As parents are the primary educators of their children, Catholic schools play an important role in supporting and helping parents fulfil their role in this sensitive and challenging space.
Respecting that it is the privilege of Catholic schools to communicate the Christian vision of human life and relationships, education in Consent and Respectful Relationships should not single out any group or behaviour. It should be developed in the larger context of assisting all members of the school community to form an appreciation of respectful relationships, intimacy and sexuality, and discover what it means to express love, be loved and live well in relationship with God and others.
In the light of our faith, the teaching of Consent and Respectful Relationships in Catholic schools must promote the development of children and young people鈥檚 mind, body and spirit in an integrated way that enables the formation of moral consciousness and strengthens their encounter and relationship with God.
How CRRE will be delivered in 黑料社 Catholic schools
The delivery of CRRE to students is the responsibility of many people. It is primarily delivered in Catholic schools through the mandatory NESA K-6 and 7-10 PDHPE syllabus, as well as through Religious Education classes and pastoral care and wellbeing program.
Catholic schools support the development of the whole child, valuing the academic, spiritual, physical, and social-emotional domains that contribute to a holistic education. It is by taking a holistic approach and nurturing all domains that we provide young people with the best chance of growing into confident and respectful Catholic-valued young women and men of moral conscience.
Improving wellbeing
Consent and respectful relationship education contributes to the overall wellbeing of students by:
- fostering a safer and more supportive school environment
- reducing the likelihood of bullying and harassment
- building a foundation for a more respectful and considerate society in the future.
鈥淭he human body includes right from the beginning鈥 the capacity of expressing love, that love in which the person becomes a gift 鈥 and by means of this gift 鈥 fulfills the meaning of a person鈥檚 being and existence.鈥
Saint Pope John Paul II, Theology of the Body, General Audience, January 16, 1980