THE HON ALAN TUDGE MP
MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND YOUTH

SENATOR THE HON ANNE RUSTON
MINISTER FOR FAMILIES AND SOCIAL SERVICES
MINISTER FOR WOMEN’S SAFETY

MEDIA RELEASE

14 April 2021

Teaching Australian students that Respect Matters

New online resources are now available to help school students learnabout safe, healthy and respectful relationships, including issues aroundconsent and peer pressure.

More than 350 videos, digital stories, podcasts and other materials areavailable free to teachers, students and families through The Good Society website, aspart of the Respect Matters program.

The Respect Matters program has been developed in conjunction with OurWatch, the eSafety Commissioner and the Foundation for Young Australians, aswell as parent, community and principals’ groups.

Resources have been developed for students from Foundation to Year 12 andcontent is aligned with the current Australian Curriculum, which was agreed byall states and territories in 2015. The Australian Curriculum is currentlyunder review and a public consultation period will open on 29 April.

• Foundation to year 6 focuses on building healthy relationships and friendships,     including content on empathy, peer pressure, interacting respectfully, and     challenging discriminatory behaviour. It also provides the building blocks     for later content.
• Years 7 to 9 focuses on moving from pre-teen to adolescence and looks at     relationships and power, and abuse. There is content in this age section     that specifically deals with abuse and violence against women.
• Years 10 to 12 builds on earlier topics and also includes materials on intimate     relationships, sexting, sexual consent and decision making.

Teachers and parents will be able to select from the full range of learningcontent and make decisions about what materials they use in their classrooms toensure it reflects the values of their school and their community.

The Respect Matters program also provides support and professionallearning modules for teachers and pre-service teachers.

Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge said education was important inbuilding and maintaining respectful relationships from a young age.

“The most important people in teaching kids about respect and relationships areparents, but schools can also play a vital role,” Minister Tudge said.

“These materials will provide additional support to better educate youngAustralians on these issues and have been designed to complement programsalready being offered by states and territories.

“I will be discussing these matters further with my state and territorycounterparts when we meet later this month.”

Minister for Women’s Safety Anne Ruston said early intervention andeducation were key to achieving our goal of a future without domesticviolence.

“We need to work on preventing violence before it begins and that is where RespectMatters, along with other initiatives like our Stop it at the Startcampaign, are working to ensure the next generation of Australians grow upin a country where women and children can live free of violence,” MinisterRuston said.

“School years are crucial in a child’s development and we want to guaranteethat whether it be at home, at school or even playing weekend sport, that kidsand their parents have been informed about what is respectful behaviour andwhat is not.”

The Australian Government has invested $7.8 million in the Respect Matters programto support and promote positive attitudes, behaviours and equality in schoolsto help prevent domestic, family, and sexual violence.

The commitment is part of a significant and broad-reaching package ofinitiatives under the Fourth Action Plan of the National Plan to ReduceViolence against Women and their Children 2010-2022.

Additional resources from the Respect Matters program includingprofessional learning modules for educators are available at https://studentwellbeinghub.edu.au/.

ENDS