Get Action! Bring back Te Tiriti-based, inclusive relationships and sexuality education in schools w/ Leonie Morris: 25th March, 2026

Back in 2020, two new guidelines were introduced to support schools in teaching Relationships and Sexuality Education. The guidelines were introduced by the then Associate Education Minister and New Zealand First MP, Tracey Martin, after reports from the Education Review Office showed inconsistencies in how schools taught this subject - alongside significant gaps. The new guidelines brought greater emphasis to sexuality and gender diversity, Māori and Pacific views of sexuality, the use of digital technologies, and information about relationships and sexuality education for disabled learners.

However, the current government scrapped these guidelines as part of a coalition agreement with New Zealand First, who campaigned on removing the guidelines, which they called ‘woke gender ideology.’

The new proposed guidelines for relationships and sex education are significantly different to those introduced back in 2020.

For this week’s Get Action, Producer Theo spoke to Leonie Morris from Te Wāhi Wāhine o Tāmaki Makaurau - the Auckland Women’s centre - on their petition to bring back Te Tiriti-based, inclusive relationships and Sexuality education in schools.

If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here.