Email sent to Minister for Education Jo Palmer and Attorney-General Guy Barnett on 24 July 2026.
Dear Attorney-General and Minister Palmer,
We write to formally request that the Tasmanian Government conduct a thorough and transparent review of the content and delivery of Respectful Relationships and Consent Education, and related Health and Physical Education material, currently being taught in Years 7–10 in government schools.
This request is prompted by materials currently in use at Montrose Bay High School and by the serious concerns raised by parents about both the content and the methods of instruction. These concerns have already been reported in the media, including in a News.com.au article published on 23 July 2026 which detailed the requirement for Year 8 students to recite passages affirming gender identity concepts and LGBTQIA+ allyship.
A parent recently provided us with the Year 8 HPE workbook titled Let’s Talk About Sex (Term 2 2026) currently being used at Montrose Bay High School. The booklet is delivered as part of the core curriculum under the Department for Education, Children and Young People’s Supporting Sexuality, Sex and Gender Diversity in Schools Policy. The early lessons require students to read aloud as a class that sex is a “biological label given at birth” and that gender “exists on a spectrum.” Students are required to define and accept concepts including cisgender, transgender and non-binary identities, treat the sex binary as merely a “suggestion,” complete activities on allyship with success criteria requiring them to identify ways to be an “LGBTQIA+ ally,” and even in the consent lesson answer the question: “What is one way you could support gender diversity?” No alternative scientific or philosophical perspective is presented.
Perhaps the most educationally serious problem is the order of teaching. Students spend the first four lessons on gender identity, non-binary concepts, sexuality as a spectrum, and allyship before any sustained teaching of reproductive biology, consent, contraception or sexual health occurs. Human sexuality begins with biological reality. Students cannot properly understand consent, contraception, fertility or sexual health if they have not first been taught the basic facts of human reproduction and the binary nature of sex. The current sequence places contested identity theory before foundational biological knowledge. This is the reverse of sound educational practice.
Of equal concern is the teaching method. Across multiple lessons students are required to participate in choral reading and echo reading exercises in which they must recite approved ideological statements aloud together as a class. One parent has described the experience as resembling catechism or forced prayer recitation. In a secular public education system this is unacceptable. Public schools must not place students in a position where they are expected to vocally affirm contested beliefs, or risk being marked as non-compliant, disrespectful, or creating an “unsafe” environment if they dissent. Parents report that students who question the material have been made to feel isolated or have sat out of class. This is not education; it is pressure to conform.
We support the teaching of respect, the rejection of bullying, and clear education about consent and sexual health. These goals do not require the adoption of a contested ideological framework, nor do they require students to chant its claims in unison.
We therefore respectfully request that you commission an independent review of the Year 7–10 Respectful Relationships and Consent Education materials and the related gender identity content currently delivered in HPE; examine whether the materials present contested claims about sex and gender as settled fact without acknowledging legitimate alternative scientific views; examine the use of choral and echo reading methods that require students to recite ideological statements; ensure that any future materials prioritise accurate biological education about sex and reproduction before introducing contested social theories; and guarantee that parents are given full transparency about the content being taught and meaningful opportunity to raise concerns without their children being penalised.
We would welcome the opportunity to provide the full booklet and further parent testimony to assist any review.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Elizabeth Caballero
Retired General Practitioner
President | Women Speak Tasmania
Reply by Minister for Education Jo Palmer on 4 August 2026.
Dear Elizabeth Caballero
Thank you for your correspondence.
The Tasmanian Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people in Tasmania learn in environments that are inclusive, respectful, and safe.
Teachers in Tasmanian Government schools are required to deliver the Australian Curriculum (the Curriculum). The Curriculum is developed by experts in curriculum and subject areas and is intentionally designed to be age‑appropriate and developmentally aligned, ensuring that learning expectations reflect students’ cognitive, social, and emotional development. Respectful Relationships and Consent Education is currently delivered through the Health and Physical Education learning area and includes content relating to sexuality and respectful relationships.
I am aware that the use of choral reading, where students read a text aloud together as a whole class or small groups, is a recognised literacy practice. I understand that the purpose of the choral reading is to support literacy development and student engagement. Schools have discretion to select the passages to use for choral reading.
I am advised that the Department for Education, Children and Young People will review the materials used in the choral reading session, to ensure they align with the Year 7/8 curriculum as intended.
In addition, I am aware that external programs and services may be offered in schools to support schools delivery of the curriculum and in accordance with the Department for Education, Children and Young People’s (the department) Partnering with External Organisations Policy (the Policy) and Partnering with External Organisations Procedure (the Procedure). This Policy and Procedure provides clear guidance on the requirements and expectations of programs and services offered by external organisations to schools.
I acknowledge the importance of transparency, parental engagement, and alignment with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations in all programs delivered in schools. In line with these principles, and the Child and Youth Safe Standards currently being implemented across the department, schools are expected to communicate clearly with families about learning programs. Parents and carers may choose to opt their child out if they wish.
External providers do not have an automatic right to access school sites. Principals are best placed to determine whether a proposed program aligns with the requirements outlined in the Policy and the Procedure, whether their school has the capacity to participate, and how the program fits within the local context and the needs of their students. Families are encouraged to contact their school directly if they have questions or concerns about specific programs or curriculum areas.
Thank you for raising this matter.
All the best
Office of the Hon Jo Palmer MLC