Overview
- Federal ministers have publicly defended teachers and the teaching of consent, with Education Minister Jason Clare calling respect lessons 'common decency' and saying teachers are 'heroes'.
- Coalition figures including Nationals leader Matt Canavan and Opposition Leader Angus Taylor have accused parts of respectful‑relationships programs of being 'feminised' or 'anti‑boy' and said this can push some boys to toxic online 'manosphere' spaces.
- Teachers and the Australian Education Union strongly reject claims of a politicised agenda, pointing to a Monash University survey in which a large share of teachers reported seeing sexism or misogyny in schools.
- Advocates want changes to social media algorithms to shield young people from manosphere messaging; Chanel Contos has proposed an opt‑in model and the prime minister has backed more user control but not that specific plan.
- Ministers Clare and Tanya Plibersek will take part in a sexual‑violence emergency roundtable called by New South Wales and the debate is now likely to prompt both curriculum scrutiny and possible moves on platform regulation.