Full Breakdown
Christchurch Girls' High School Introduces Health Course in Response to 2021 Sexual Harassment Survey
4/29/2026, 5:11:39 AM
New Health Course Launched in Response to Harassment Survey
Christchurch Girls' High School, a public secondary school with over 1,000 students, introduced the Te Whai Hiringa health course for all Year 11 students in 2023. The programme followed a 2021 student survey that revealed widespread sexual harassment, leading the school to design a curriculum covering identity, diversity, mental health, sexual health, consent, relationships and substance use.
Harassment Findings and Student Responses
The 2021 survey asked students about sexual harassment. A quarter reported more than ten incidents, and over 60 % said they changed behaviours to avoid further harassment. Most changes involved clothing—baggy attire, jackets, or trousers under skirts—while others altered routes home, increased street vigilance, or stopped using buses. Incidents were most often reported outside school, on public transport, in town, while socialising and online.
Course Structure and Curriculum Placement
Te Whai Hiringa (Maori for “to aspire to health/vitality”) runs alongside the Relationships and Sexuality Education programme within the Health and Physical Education learning area of the New Zealand Curriculum. The course includes conversations on identity, diversity, mental health, sexual health, consent, relationships and drugs/alcohol, aiming to build critical thinking and respect for individual choices.
Official Statements & Responses
Principal Helen Armstrong said the course is “vital for young people’s learning, development and wellbeing.” She added that the school regularly seeks student voice to improve teaching and that the programme gives students knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions.
Why It Matters
By embedding consent and identity discussions within the formal curriculum, the school provides a structured response to the harassment behaviours students reported, aiming to reduce risk and improve overall wellbeing.
What’s Next
The school intends to adopt a whole-school safe-disclosure strategy recommended in the survey and will continue monitoring student feedback to refine the course.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
No external evaluation of the course’s impact or comparative data from other schools is provided, leaving outcomes unverified.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Since the development three years ago, we continue to provide the Te Whai Hiringa (to aspire to health/vitality) course to all of our Year 11 students,” — Helen Armstrong, Principal
- “It helps them learn about themselves and others in safe, respectful, and age-appropriate ways,” — Helen Armstrong, Principal
- “Akonga develop understanding and respect for others’ choices and learn to think critically about relationships and sexuality.” — Helen Armstrong, Principal
- “We regularly seek and value student voice on a range of relevant topics, using their insights to strengthen teaching and learning to support student wellbeing, which remains at the heart of everything we do.” — Helen Armstrong, Principal
