Why are schools not prioritising mental health and sex education?
Health issues currently dominate the global imagination. One might even argue that, along with climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic, general health and wellbeing is the greatest concern of our time.
This talk considers why, despite the high social and political status of health, it is given so little attention in our schools.
Research suggests that young people urgently want to learn about mental health, relationships and sexuality. Some have even petitioned Parliament to demand this.
New Zealand actually has a robust policy framework for health education in schools but translation into practice is patchy, and health education occupies a lowly position when compared with other learning areas such as mathematics and literacy.
Dr Katie Fitzpatrick argues that there are both political and historical reasons for this imbalance and invites her audience to imagine how different things could be.
Bio
Associate Professor Katie Fitzpatrick’s research focuses on health education, physical education, sexuality education, critical pedagogy, and critical ethnographic methods. She has a background teaching in schools, and has led policy development for the Ministry of Education in the areas of relationships, sexuality education, and mental health education.
8:00pm @Sweet Affairs, 225 Parnell Road, Parnell, Auckland 1052
Also speaking at this location at 6:30pm is Linda Tyler.
