Is puberty education evident in Australia’s first national curriculum?

Abstract

The processes of puberty, including reproductive fertility and social-role transitions, now begin earlier, last longer, and are experienced in very different contexts. Because of this, all children and adolescents need good-quality puberty education in school curricula, and this need is supported by positive cost–benefit analysis and international professional consensus. The introduction of a new nationwide curriculum is an ideal opportunity to seek evidence for the presence of puberty education, in this case, in the Australian Curriculum. This study, a concise account of the first-known search for such evidence, aims to examine the compulsory curriculum Content Descriptions in the subject Learning Areas (LAs) developed for Australian students in Years 1–10. Quantitative and qualitative content analyses were conducted of audits taken at critical learning/teaching stages for students aged 5, 10 and 15. Findings highlight negligible levels of puberty education presence, even in the LA of Health and Physical Education (HPE), but immense potential for the inclusion of puberty education in all audited LAs. The introduction of consistent, continuous and competent programmes in all school years would likely enhance students’ well-being, health and safety, educational outcomes and life chances.

Keywords:

• Puberty education
• sexuality education
• primary and secondary schools
• Australian Curriculum

Notes

1. Assessment of the numerous languages studied by relatively small numbers of students in different year levels would require numerous curriculum translators, which was not possible here.