Australian teachers feel ill-prepared for sex education despite national mandates

La Trobe University released its Third National Study of Australian Teachers of Relationships and Sexuality Education, showing that two‑thirds of teachers feel unequipped to deliver sex‑education lessons even after national guidelines introduced in 2015 and mandates in 2023. About 68 % have no formal training and 60 % fear saying the wrong thing or provoking parental backlash.

The survey also found that students want more practical guidance and that condom use among sexually active Australian teenagers is at its lowest level since 1992. Researchers Lily Moor and Professor Jennifer Power highlighted the need for greater teacher confidence amid rising online misogynistic, homophobic and transphobic content, as the curriculum expands to cover consent, digital safety, sexting and pornography. The issue was illustrated by sexuality educator Vanessa Hamilton’s discussion with teachers at a Melbourne inner‑north school.