Key projects
Sexuality Education in Victoria Primary Schools
Catching On Early – a Victorian primary school curriculum written for the Department of Education and Early Children Development
With the introduction of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS), sexuality education has been identified as an essential curriculum component which makes it a compulsory part of Victoria’s education curriculum. The CLEU was commissioned to write Catching On Early - a developmentally based program designed to help schools teach the sexuality education component of VELS for children from Prep through to 6th grade.
In keeping with ARCSHS’ focus on sexuality and society, the program uses active learning strategies to build on children’s early learning and experiences about gender, bodies and relationships. It combines the biological, social and emotional aspects of sexuality education to assist schools in meeting children’s needs as they relate to sexual growth and change. We expect to see the resource launched in 2010.
Supporting Parents to Talk to their Children about Sex – in Western Australia
This project was commissioned by the Western Australian (WA) Department of Health. The aim of the project was twofold – to carry out research with parents in order to report to the WA government on the role and needs of parents as sexual health educators of their children, and to develop a sexual health resource for parents. The proposed resource will complement the existing suite of sexual health resources available for young people from the WA Department of Health, Boys and Puberty, Girls and Puberty and Relationships and Other Stuff. The purpose of the parent’s resource is to reassure parents and families about their capacity to take the lead in this aspect of their child’s life.
New website: Ansell Sex Ed.
The Ansell Sex Ed. website is the product of a partnership between Ansell and the CLEU. This online resource is sponsored by Ansell and moderated by Pamela Blackman. Pamela is an experienced teacher and teacher trainer at ARCSHS. The website is an on-line community library designed to support teachers by featuring classroom activities, news, policy, advice on program planning, and information about professional learning. The website intends to promote existing curriculum and policy support from education departments, as well as the work of Australian agencies and educators working in the field.
Research into Policy
Many of our efforts in research dissemination go into directly influencing government policy to ensure it is evidence based. This involves both direct advocacy and in responding to discussion papers put out by government. Examples from this year’s work are our participation in the Sexually Transmissible Infections Expert Writing Reference Group assisting the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmissible Infections in the development of the second National Sexually Transmissible Infections Strategy (2009-2013). The focus of this second strategy is on the prevention and management of STIs.
We were also commissioned to write Chlamydia prevention: How to reach young people outside of school settings for the Victorian Department of Human Services to assess the evidence for the utility of particular methods and sites for health promotion in relation to Chlamydia amongst young people – specifically those who have left school – and then to suggest key strategies for improving Chlamydia prevention and testing. The Department of Human Services also asked ARCSHS to prepare a report Sexuality education: How are Victorian teachers trained? High quality sexuality education delivered by well-trained and supported teachers remains the best means of educating young people about sexual and reproductive health. However, very little is currently known about the pre-training delivered by Victorian universities and colleges of education to prospective teachers about sexuality education.