Sarah Kopp sparks Qld teacher grooming training review after abuse case
Queensland's Education Minister has ordered an urgent review of teacher training after school grooming victim Sarah Kopp warned current practices left children vulnerable.
A victim of teacher child grooming has welcomed a promise from the education minister to review the state’s training on identifying early signs of the crime, but says the government needed to drive real change and it cannot simply be another “review or online module”.
Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek has promised an investigation into the training after Sarah Kopp, a teacher herself, called for urgent changes to a plan which “barely scratches the surface”.
Ms Kopp was groomed by her physical education teacher Paul Edward Grealy when she was a 15-year-old student at Urangan State High School.
Grealy was jailed in May 2024 after being found guilty of five counts of indecent treatment of a child, and one count of maintaining an unlawful relationship with a child.
Mr Langbroek said in a statement issued on Wednesday he had asked the Education Department to investigate its “current processes” and that he would be raising the issue at a federal level and with other state ministers to ensure a unified national approach.
A spokeswoman for his office said the minister would also be happy to meet with Ms Kopp.
Ms Kopp says the current training only defined grooming but not “how to recognise it or what to do when it’s happening right in front of them”.
“It needs to be intensive, and it needs to be in person,” she said.
“There’s no discussion of how grooming unfolds gradually, what patterns to watch for in adult behaviour, or what subtle changes to look for in a child.”
Colleagues she had spoken with shared her concerns and “don’t understand what (grooming) looks like”.
On Wednesday, Mr Langbroek said he had asked for a new look to be taken at what was being offered to teachers.
“While the majority of teachers and schools are doing the right thing, we know teachers must receive the targeted training that enables them to identify and address grooming behaviour,” he said.
“I have asked the department to investigate the current processes and what more can be done to educate children, teachers, and parents to better identify predatory behaviours.
“This is an issue that crosses state borders, and I will be raising this with the federal Education Minister and state ministers, so we can work in a united approach to keep children safe.”
Premier David Crisafulli said on Wednesday his government “would be very happy to work with the (education) sector”.
“It’s important that we provide environments where it’s safe for kids to go and learn, and for people to teach in those environments.”
In response to concerns about teachers feeling unequipped to deal with situations of grooming, or suspicion of grooming, Mr Crisafulli said the government would work with the people who “live it, breathe it, and want to drive change”.
“If more can be done, more will be done.”
Ms Kopp welcomed the announcement.
“I’m encouraged to hear that the Minister recognises the urgent need for targeted training that enables teachers to identify grooming behaviour,” she said,
“That acknowledgment alone is an important step forward.”
She stressed the need for any changes to the plan being wholesale.
“I believe this can’t just be another review or online module added to an already crowded list,” she said.
“The current training is far too superficial and reactive, it focuses on recognising abuse after it has already occurred, not the subtle red flags that come before.
“Teachers need immersive, face-to-face, scenario-based training that equips them to identify predatory behaviour in real-world contexts, not just theory.
“I welcome his commitment to take this issue to a national level, but what’s needed now is action, a framework that makes grooming prevention a core part of every educator’s professional development.
“The longer we wait, the more children remain at risk.”
