Tag: DECYP
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Request to Remove “I Am Jazz” from Tasmanian Schools – Letter to the Tasmanian Premier
Letter sent to Tasmania Premier, Jeremy Rockliff, on 19.03.26 Dear Premier, I have written to Jo Palmer, as Minister for Education, regarding the Tasmanian Department of Education’s decision to include the book, I Am Jazz, on the reading list for children aged 11 to 12, or any children, really. I also send it to you…
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Transparency in Relationships and Sexuality Education – Letter to the Children’s Commissioner
Letter sent to the Interim Children’s Commissioner, Ms Isabelle Crompton on 26.03.26 Dear Ms Crompton, Subject: Concerns regarding transparency and parental engagement in Relationships and Sexuality Education programs in Tasmanian schools I am writing on behalf of Women Speak Tasmania to raise concerns about a potential systemic issue affecting student wellbeing and parental engagement in…
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Request for Review the Inclusion of “I Am Jazz” in Tasmanian Schools – Letter to Jo Palmer
Letter sent to Jo Palmer and Josh Willie on the 19.03.26 This letter was sent by A. Johnsen to the Tasmanian Minister for Education and the Shadow Minister for Education, raising concerns about the inclusion of I Am Jazz on a Department of Education reading list for students aged 11–12, and requesting a review of…
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Who Decides the Books in Your Child’s Classroom? The Role of Working It Out
A recent Right to Information request (RTI 076–2025/26) has provided new insight into how the Tasmanian Department for Education, Children and Young People (DECYP) selects and recommends books for use in schools under the Supporting Sexuality, Sex and Gender Diversity in Schools, which sits within the Health and Physical Education (HPE) curriculum. The RTI shows…
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Why Parents are Kept in the Dark About Tasmania School Programs
What we learnt from RTI Request 076–2025/26 Working It Out and Growing Up Program Parents have a right to know what their children are being taught at school—especially when lessons touch on sensitive topics such as sexuality, gender identity, and personal development. A recent Right to Information (RTI) request has raised serious questions about whether…
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Women’s group banned from Tasmanian libraries for ‘hate speech’
A prominent women’s rights group has been permanently banned from public libraries in Tasmania after its forums opposing radical trans ideology were deemed to be in breach of Libraries Tasmania’s diversity and inclusion policies. Attempts by Women Speak Tasmania to hire library venues have been repeatedly turned down, most recently this week after a bid…
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Parents are the First Line of Defence in Safeguarding Children
Parents are not bystanders in child protection — they are the first line of defence against harm. The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, endorsed by all Australian governments, make this clear: families hold the primary responsibility for their children’s safety, wellbeing, and moral development. A genuine child-safe culture requires more than policies on paper.…
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Analysis of the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations
Here is an analysis of the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2018), focusing on parental rights, education sector obligations, and how these can be embedded in Tasmanian policy to strengthen transparency, safeguarding, and family participation. 1. Core Legal and Ethical Basis The document is a national framework endorsed by all…
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Concerns About the Growing Up Program (GUP) in Tasmanian Schools – Parents Speak Up
Women Speak Tasmania has received a number of messages from parents across the state expressing concern about the Growing Up Program (GUP), which is delivered by Family Planning Tasmania (FPT) in public schools. Parents have raised issues relating to transparency, the language used in teaching materials, and the implicit introduction of gender identity concepts to…