Peter Dutton has pledged a Coalition government would review the national school curriculum to eliminate “indoctrination,” aiming to restore “critical thinking” and “common sense” in schools.
According to ABC News, the proposal sparked concern in the education sector, with some fearing key social programs could be defunded. However, the Coalition confirmed it would retain consent education, introduced in 2022 with bipartisan support.
Chanel Contos, the leading advocate behind Australia’s consent education campaign, welcomed the reassurance.
“It’s been quite disturbing to see the topic of violence against women and children become an increasingly polarised issue in America and I’m very happy to confirm that in Australia that has not been the case,” Contos told ABC News.
She emphasised that consent should remain above politics: “We want to make it so that consent is not a divisive topic, to give us the best chance of raising the next generation with respectful values at heart.”
While consent education is safe, other programs—particularly those supporting LGBTQ+ students—remain uncertain under Dutton’s proposed reforms.
Source: ABC News
