Consent educators are a collaborative community in Australia. My colleagues and I greeted the Government’s commitment to mandating consent education from 2023 with great relief.
We had been waiting a long time for acknowledgement of the severity of Australia’s gender-based violence problem, and the commitment to funding the program was an added reassurance that they’re serious about tackling the issue.
But it’s essential that we get this right. I’ve been working in schools for many years, and I know from experience that it’s possible to make a significant impact by using evidence-based resources in a skilled and professional way.
Here are four ways the Government could further demonstrate its commitment to solving the epidemic of gender-based violence in Australia.
1. Consult widely with experts in the field
There is a well-established sector of credible, effective educators already delivering consent education in early learning, primary and secondary settings; I am one of them. This sector has spent many years building and refining resources, based on in-school experiences, that make a real impact in classrooms. Inviting these educators to be part of the process of identifying touchstone issues and developing curriculum content to address them would be a significant and powerful step in the right direction.
2. Invest in teacher training
Effective consent education depends on two factors: evidence-based resources and delivery by skilled educators. Giving teachers the tools they need to maximise the impact of consent education is crucial.
3. Acknowledge the importance of the primary years
Consent education isn’t just about sex. Young children need to be taught about building respectful relationships in an age-appropriate, sensitive way. At this stage, it seems the Government’s priority is the secondary curriculum, but overlooking the crucial early years of a child’s life would be a significant lost opportunity.
4: Integrate consent education across the curriculum
The research shows that integrating the teaching of key skills across the curriculum – including literacy learning in science lessons, or creative thinking in maths activities, for example – produces the best results. This applies no less to consent education, which requires a complex and interdependent set of skills such as communication and collaboration. There are opportunities to teach students about respectful relationships at every point of every school day.
Vanessa Hamilton and Ingrid Laguna's new book Kit & Arlo Find a Way: Teaching consent to 8–12 year olds is now available.
