Catholic, Independent, State schools pledge “concrete action” on consent education

It is unclear how the department will action its “shared commitment” but the statement suggests that the NSW curriculum reform currently underway will provide a basis for developing higher quality consent, sex, and relationship education statewide. 

The statement reads:

We commit to identifying and taking concrete actions that will strengthen children and young people’s ability to form healthy relationships and prevent harmful situations, both at school and outside the school gates. Individual schools, school systems and parent organisations may choose to explicitly adopt this Statement of Intent as the basis for action within their school communities.

NSW teachers and school leaders will be a focus of a review of existing resources, guidance, professional learning, referral pathways, and reporting protocols. 

Students will be directly involved in changes, based on the statement, which promises to work with student groups such as the NSW Youth Advisory Council, the Minister’s Student Council, and the Regional Youth Taskforce.

A draft of the statement was shared with the NSW Youth Advisory Council, who asked for clarity around any action promised and for any action taken to be implemented at the individual school level. 

Read the full statement here. Schools have been encouraged to “explicitly adopt this Statement of Intent as the basis for action within their school communities” if they choose.