A mental health advocate says the Government's plans to wind back relationship and sexuality guidelines in schools is taking Aotearoa "back to the stone age".
The Mental Health Foundation is calling on Kiwis to sign their open letter, which asks the Coalition Government to retain current relationships and sexuality education (RSE) guidelines in schools and kura.
In place from 2020, the guidelines were to address calls to help end school bullying, violence and child abuse.
Mental Health Foundation chief executive Shaun Robinson told AM on Wednesday giving young people support in navigating relationships, identity and sexuality as they go through puberty and into adulthood was "a no-brainer".
"This is something that our young people need. They have asked for it, schools have asked for it," he said.
However, the guidelines were axed under the Coalition agreement between National and NZ First, the latter of which campaigned on removing gender ideology from the school curriculum.
"The very interesting thing is that New Zealand First actually introduced these guidelines... so it's a ridiculous flip," Robinson said.
"It's almost like taking us back to the stone age."
The open letter, released on Tuesday and co-signed by 26 mental health and rainbow organisations, opposes the Government's plans to remove the guidelines. The letter will be available online for public signatures until Pink Shirt Day on May 17 - a day which focuses on reducing bullying by celebrating diversity.
It will be sent to Education Minister Erica Stanford the week following.
The letter is intended to remind Stanford and the Government the RSE guidelines were the result of in-depth consultation with teachers, students and parents.
It added the content was staged at age-appropriate levels and is not mandatory, meaning parents and caregivers retain their right to withdraw their children from sexuality education in general if they wish.
Stanford told Newshub on Wednesday she appreciates the concerns raised.
"I agree that all children deserve to feel included, safe and respected at school," she said in a statement, adding the Coalition Government would review and replace the current guidelines in its first term.
"It is important to note that these are only guidelines and schools are currently free to use them (or not) as they choose. The legal requirements for school boards are set out in the Education and Training Act 2020 and require schools to consult with their community every two years on their health curriculum (including what they include under RSE).
"Under the Act, schools must inform the school community about the content of the health curriculum; and ascertain the wishes of the school community regarding the way in which the health curriculum should be implemented given the views, beliefs, and customs of the members of that community; and determine, in broad terms, the health education needs of the students at the school."
Stanford has also previously told AM that there's been huge anxiety from parents and school communities about the age appropriateness of the content.
However, Robinson refuted that - saying the guidelines were age-appropriate for different stages.
"I would argue, where is the evidence for this 'huge anxiety?'
"We have a small number of highly conservative people in New Zealand who have got to New Zealand First. New Zealand First has done a complete flip over the course of six years on what they thought was important for political reasons."
Some parents wrote into AM saying they would want to teach their children about these topics at home.
But Robinson said more than 300 people signed their open letter on the first day and "survey after survey" showed young people wanted this support.
"Parents are always part of this process but... this is actually children's and young people's rights. It's not the parents' right to decide whether a young person should be equipped for life, it is the young person's right to be equipped for life.
"As a nation that's what we should be doing."
Robinson said the move from the Government was "very, very negative".
"What is that signal saying? It's saying that this is not important, that if you have a different type of identity sexually or if you're different in any way - if you're different ethnically or if you're entering... different types of relationships and having to discover things like sexual safety in relationships consent, that's not important.
"That's what's the Government's saying.
"We need to create schools that are welcoming, inclusive, celebrating all diversity and equip young people to be able to cope with the world."
