Sex & religion

Sex education

Sex education forms part of the health syllabus right through the school years, and is placed in the broad context of the physical, emotional and social development of children into puberty and through adolescence.

Under the Education Act, students 16 and above, or the parent/caregiver of a student under 16, may ask the principal to be released from a sex education class.

Religious instruction

Religious studies topics can turn up in the social studies syllabus and in other areas, but there is not supposed to be any religious instruction or participation in religious practices in a state school.

The Education Act 1964 states that all state primary schools are to be secular. It does allow a certain level of optional religious instruction, one example being the "Bibles in Schools" programme. State secondary schools are not covered by any express requirement to be "secular".

A principal of a state school may release a student from religious or cultural tuition upon receiving a written request from either the student aged 16 and above, or a parent/caregiver of the student aged under 16. The request must be made at least 24 hours before the class in question. Such an application cannot be made at integrated schools.

The principal cannot release a student from tuition unless they are satisfied the request is based on sincerely held religious or cultural views and the student will be adequately supervised (whether within or outside the school) during the tuition.

The principal must also discover the student's views on the matter before making a decision.