Gabrielle Morin: (Re)thinking Relationship and Sexuality Education: Learning from Māori and Pacific Students’ Experiences
This poster introduces my doctoral research project which consists of a critical ethnography looking at Māori and Pacific students’ experiences of Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE). The revised curriculum seems promising from a decolonial and critical perspective. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the RSE curriculum aims to place a focus on providing culturally responsive, and sensitive guidance for sexuality education educators. Acknowledging the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the cultural specificities of Māori and Pacific people and communities, a subsection is dedicated to each of their cultural perspectives of sexuality such as values, believes and knowledge and ways that educators can take them in account in their practice. However, the lack of representation of Māori and Pasifika students in the existing literature raises awareness about their actual classroom experiences of RSE, their needs, and desires regarding the curriculum. This research project aims to address this gap in the literature.