Samoa Family Life Education Curriculum (Years 1-12)

This curriculum is designed to be integrated into two main carrier subjects: Health and Physical Education and Social Studies. Additional integration with other subjects like Science and Food and Textiles Technology is also encouraged. The curriculum takes a holistic, rights-based approach, promoting gender equality and lifelong learning. It aims to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to navigate relationships, make healthy choices, and understand sexuality within the Samoan cultural context.

The curriculum is organized into seven strands, each with a major learning outcome and three sub-strands. Specific learning outcomes are designed for cohorts of classes (Years 1-4, 5-8, and 9-12), allowing teachers to select age-appropriate lessons for integration into carrier subjects.

Strand 1: Relationships

Major Learning Outcome: Students will acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to recognize and value healthy relationships in the home, at school, and in the community.

• Sub-strand 1.1: Families: Focuses on understanding different family structures, roles, responsibilities, the impact of health and illness on families, and the importance of family values.
• Sub-strand 1.2: Friendships, Love, and Romantic Relationships: Explores the characteristics of healthy relationships, different kinds of love, the influence of friends, and managing emotions in relationships.
• Sub-strand 1.3: Tolerance, Inclusion, and Respect: Emphasizes demonstrating tolerance, inclusion, and respect in relationships, addressing discrimination and stigma, and promoting respectful communication.

Strand 2: Values, Rights, Culture, and Sexuality

Major Learning Outcome: Students will explore and understand the importance of values and human rights in determining behavior, including sexual behavior, in everyday life within Samoan culture and society.

• Sub-strand 2.1: Values and Principles: Focuses on identifying and understanding personal and family values and how they influence behavior and decision-making.
• Sub-strand 2.2: Human Rights, Needs and Wants, Sexuality and Responsibility: Explores the concepts of needs, wants, and human rights, and how they relate to sexuality and responsible decision-making.
• Sub-strand 2.3: Culture, Society, and Sexuality: Examines how culture, religion, and society influence understandings of sexuality and acceptable sexual behavior.

Strand 3: Understanding Gender

Major Learning Outcome: Students will acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to appreciate and understand various aspects relating to gender, such as gender norms, gender roles, gender equality, stereotypes and bias, and gender-based violence.

• Sub-strand 3.1: Understanding Gender and Gender Norms: Differentiates between gender and biological sex and explores the factors influencing gender roles.
• Sub-strand 3.2: Gender Equality, Stereotypes, and Bias: Addresses gender inequality, stereotypes, and bias, and promotes equal treatment and respect for all genders.
• Sub-strand 3.3: Gender-based Violence (GBV): Defines GBV, explores its causes and consequences, and emphasizes the importance of seeking support and reporting GBV.

Strand 4: Violence and Staying Safe

Major Learning Outcome: Students will be able to explore the nature of violence, identify potential situations of violence, and be able to take action to stay safe and protected in the home, at school, and in the community.

• Sub-strand 4.1: Understanding Violence and Types of Bullying: Covers different types of bullying and violence, including sexual abuse, harassment, and domestic violence.
• Sub-strand 4.2: Consent and Privacy: Focuses on the right to privacy, personal integrity, and the importance of consent in relationships.
• Sub-strand 4.3: Safe Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs): Addresses the safe use of the internet and social media, including recognizing and avoiding online sexual exploitation and cyberbullying.

Strand 5: Skills for Healthy Living and Wellbeing

Major Learning Outcome: Students will gain knowledge and skills to enable them to make healthy and wholesome choices about the food they eat, hygiene practices for health, and understand the importance of spiritual and mental health for holistic wellbeing.

• Sub-strand 5.1: Nutrition and Hygiene: Focuses on making healthy food choices, practicing good hygiene, and maintaining a healthy living environment.
• Sub-strand 5.2: Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Health: Explores the importance of physical, mental, and spiritual health for overall wellbeing, including coping with stress and seeking support.
• Sub-strand 5.3: Understanding NCDs and Lifestyle Changes: Addresses non-communicable diseases (NCDs), their causes, prevention, and the impact of lifestyle choices.

Strand 6: My Body and Development

Major Learning Outcome: Students will acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to understand and appreciate their growth and development, the changes that occur during puberty, their sexual and reproductive anatomy and physiology, and how to take care of themselves to meet these changes.

• Sub-strand 6.1: Puberty: Covers the physical and emotional changes during puberty, including menstruation and other sexual responses.
• Sub-strand 6.2: Sexual and Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology: Explores the sexual and reproductive organs and their functions, and addresses variations and cultural perspectives on bodies.
• Sub-strand 6.3: Reproduction: Focuses on the process of reproduction, pregnancy, and the impact of hormones on development.
• Sub-strand 6.4: Self-Care and Self-Confidence: Emphasizes the importance of self-care, body image, and feeling good about one's body.

Strand 7: Reproductive Health, Care, and Prevention

Major Learning Outcome: Students will acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to explore and understand issues regarding reproduction, the risk of STIs and HIV, and taking care of one's body.

• Sub-strand 7.1: Understanding Reproduction, Prevention, and Support: Covers the process of human reproduction, unintended pregnancy, contraception, and accessing support services.
• Sub-strand 7.2: Understanding, Recognizing, and Reducing the Risk of STIs, including HIV: Focuses on STIs, including HIV, their transmission, prevention, and the importance of testing and treatment.
• Sub-strand 7.3: Care and Prevention: Emphasizes taking care of one's body, accessing health services, and practicing safe behaviors to prevent health risks.