Respectful Relationships 

Respectful Relationships at Karoo Primary School

At Karoo, Respectful Relationships is closely connected to our school values of Kindness, Personal Excellence and Tenacity. When students practise kindness, they learn how to treat others with care and respect. By striving for personal excellence, they set high expectations for themselves in how they act and how they contribute to our school community. With tenacity, they build the resilience to face challenges, resolve conflict and grow stronger through each learning experience.

Together, these values and the Respectful Relationships curriculum provide a strong foundation for the way we learn, play and care for one another at school.

Importantly, Respectful Relationships extends beyond the classroom. It is a whole-school approach, meaning we work in partnership with students, staff, families and the wider community to embed respect and equality into our everyday interactions, policies and practices.

RRRR information is available on the Arc platform. Please scan the QR code above.

In the classroom

Across each year level, students participating in Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR) have been exploring Topic 1 – Emotional Literacy. Please read below for the aims for each year level.

In Foundation, student activities within this topic area will assist students to:

• recognise and identify their own emotions

• describe situations that may evoke these emotions

In Year 1 and Year 2, student activities within this topic area will assist students to:

• recognise and identify their own emotions

• describe situations that may evoke these emotions

• compare their emotional responses with those of their peers

In Year 3 and Year 4, student activities within this topic area will assist students to:

• describe the influence that people, situations and events can have on their emotions

• investigate how emotional responses may vary in intensity

• understand how to interact positively with others in different situations

In Year 5  and Year 6, student activities within this topic area will assiststudents to:

• explain the influence of emotions on behaviour, learning and relationships

• analyse factors that influence their ability to regulate emotions

Respectful Relationship Myths

Myth: Respectful Relationships teaches radical gender theory

Fact: Respectful Relationships does not teach radical gender theory. It is a primary prevention initiative to reduce family violence.

Respectful Relationships promotes respect and gender equality and helps students learn how to build healthy relationships. It prepares students to face challenges by developing problem-solving skills and building resilience and confidence.

Schools involved in the Respectful Relationships initiative are building a culture of respect and gender equality, by looking at their practices and policies to drive meaningful change.

The Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence recommended Respectful Relationships be introduced to all government schools (Recommendation 189). Evidence presented to the commission showed that family violence is the most pervasive form of violence perpetrated against women in Victoria.

Myth: Education cannot solve the problem of family violence

Fact: Respectful Relationships isn’t intended to be the whole solution to addressing family violence, but it is an important primary prevention initiative.

Just like other major social and health issues such as smoking and road tolls, evidence shows that gender-based violence can be prevented by working with the whole population, and in this case, all schools, to address the attitudes, beliefs and knowledge that supports the prevention of violence.

Studies show that school-based violence prevention and Respectful Relationship initiatives can produce lasting changes in attitudes and behaviours.

Respectful Relationships Education in Schools (RREiS) was trialled across 19 schools, reaching 1,700 teachers and 4,000 students. The trial found that the initiative had a positive effect on students’ attitudes, knowledge and skills, as well as, school policies, culture and ethos.

• UNESCO

Keep an eye on future newsletters to learn more about what your child’s year level is exploring through the RRRR curriculum.

Karen Corrales