Qld Budget 2022: $15.5m for schoolkids to learn about sexual consent

Sexual consent will be taught in Queensland classrooms under $15.5 million state government funding allocated in this year’s budget.

Queensland school students will soon learn about sexual consent in the classroom, with the state government committing more $15.5 million over the next three years to implementing respectful relationships education.

The funding is part of the government’s $363 million funding package to respond to the recommendations of the Queensland Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce.

The government’s record $19.6 billion education and training also included funding to build five new primary schools ¬– Caboolture West, Caloundra South, Ripley Valley, Greater Flagstone in 2025, and Bars Scrub in 2026.

But the powerful teachers’ union lamented there was nothing in the budget to urgently address the teacher shortages which have been plaguing the sector, particularly in rural and regional areas of Queensland.

“We need new schools, it’s long overdue that we have new schools, but we need teachers and school leaders in those schools,” Queensland Teachers’ Union Vice-President Leah Olsson said.

“We haven’t seen anything that addresses the major issue in education right now, and that’s teacher the shortages.

“We need to need to attract and retain experienced teachers and school leaders in the state system, (and) we also need to make sure we are encouraging our students to enter the teaching profession.”

Also in the budget was $20 million over the next two years for schools in disadvantaged areas of Queensland for improvements to playground and tuckshop facilities, while another $20 million will be invested over four years to enhance security measures in state schools.

The transitioning to a new resourcing model for students with a disability was slated $80.6 million over three years, while $27.6 million over five years and $6.5 million per year ongoing to increase the teacher to student ratio for education staff working in Queensland’s three youth detention centres, from 1:6 to 1:4 staff per student.

As announced earlier this month, $13.3 million was allocated to expand the Share the Dignity Queensland Schools initiative, which provides free period packs to all state schools, outdoor education centres and student residential facilities.