Australian Parents' Support of RSE Delivery in Schools
The RSE project research team conducted research examining the attitudes of a national sample of 2,427 parents of and other adults with caring responsibilities for (henceforth parents) for school-aged children.
National Study
The overall study sampled a representative panel of 2,427 parents (56.5% female) nationwide, to examine their attitudes towards school-based RSE. The study sampled parents who had children enrolled in government, Catholic and independent schools, and who reported diverse religious affiliations and voting preferences. Overall, 89.9% of parents supported schools to deliver RSE. Parents were asked to consider a list of 40 RSE-related topics and provide insight into what year level each topic should first be introduced. There was strong endorsement for school programs to address all issues, with most parents wanting most topics introduced in years 7-8. You can find the detailed results in the full article. Dr Jacqueline Hendriks has also discussed the results in a commentary on the current status of RSE delivery schools, in Da piece for The Conversation.
WA Report
As the Western Australian Department of Health funded this work, the research team deliberately oversampled from Western Australia (WA) to generate a state-focused report. Key findings from WA show that 93% of parents support schools to deliver relationships and sexuality education.
The report summarises the methodology (including survey instrument and sample), findings, and recommendations for involving parents and adults with caring responsibilities in school-based RSE in WA.