Students and union groups concerned by Coalition's 'woke' agenda education crackdown

Students and union groups fear the Coalition's crackdown on "woke" ideology in schools and universities could threaten freedom of speech.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has offered little detail about his plan to fight "indoctrination" in schools, but signalled cuts to "wasteful government spending" within the federal education department if elected.

National Union of Students (NUS) president Ashlyn Horton said she feared Mr Dutton was "trying to target reconciliation" with First Nations Australians.

"All progressive movements we've had in this country in the past term of government, he's tried to completely push back," she said.

Ms Horton described universities as "little cultural ecosystems" where students could learn about new ideas and enjoy experiences beyond the degree.

Adrian Murdoch is the acting CEO of the Minus 18 Foundation, which delivers inclusion training for education staff to support LGBTQIA+ students.

While it's unclear what the Coalition would target in its "woke" agenda blitz, Mr Murdoch said he feared inclusion training could be on the list.

"It's a real slap in the face for the parents of the two-in-three LGBTQI+ young people who still experience discrimination," he said.

"I think Australians really want schools that are safe and welcoming."

National Tertiary Education Union national president Alison Barnes linked the Coalition's position to US President Donald Trump dismantling the US Department of Education.

"Every Australian should fear the prospect of Peter Dutton deciding what does and does not get taught in schools and universities," Dr Barnes said in a statement.

Coalition vows to target 'activism' in classrooms

The Coalition's education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson declared a Dutton government would "take action" if elected, raising concerns about how universities are training teachers.

"Universities have got to be places of higher learning and not indoctrination."

Senator Henderson said the Coalition would "leave no stone unturned" and use existing powers to request the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) make recommendations about the quality of higher education providers to ensure students were put first.

At a Sky News pub event earlier this week, Mr Dutton was asked how his government would tackle the "woke agenda" in schools.

In response, he said his government could impose conditions on education funding to ensure state schools focused on the curriculum, rather than "an agenda that's come out of universities".

He told the crowd he thought there was a "silent majority" on the issue.

Asked for an example of wokeness, Senator Henderson pointed to Macquarie University.

She said the university was reviewing "certain requirements for law students that they've got to complete a privilege walk, that they've got to perform a thoughtful and culturally respectful Acknowledgement of Country before they undertake an oral law exam".

"We are concerned about some of these requirements," Senator Henderson said.

"We want to get back to the basics."

A Macquarie University spokesperson confirmed an Acknowledgement of Country, or Welcome to Country, was "part of the marking rubric for one assessment task within the Macquarie Law School".

"It was considered relevant both to the specific task and to the overall learning outcomes of the unit, Age and the Law," the spokesperson said in a statement.

"This unit addresses Indigenous young people and their relationship with the legal system in Australia."

Education Minister Jason Clare hit back, saying parents did not raise "woke agenda" concerns with him.

"They don't talk about 'indoctrination'," he said.

Coalition to change 'impossible' curriculum

Senator Henderson also flagged further announcements about the size of the school curriculum, saying it was far too big for teachers to manage — although she admitted it was designed by the former Liberal government.

"Primary school teachers are saying, for instance, that the curriculum is impossible to teach," she said.

She referenced the 3,500-page maths curriculum for foundation to Year 10 as one example of it being too cumbersome.

The Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority disputed that figure and said the curriculum was at most 273 pages.

The discrepancy appeared to stem from different views on what was considered part of the curriculum, and the way the information is copied from the online format into a printable document.

"Teachers are not coping," Senator Henderson said.

"The curriculum is imposing many additional hours of work, and we don't think that's good enough, and we'll have more to say about that during the campaign."

Coalition looks to 'consolidate public service'

The Coalition plans to cut 41,000 public servants, with Canberra's "bloated" bureaucracy in its sights.

Senator Henderson would not say what the cuts would mean for the education department.

"We will be looking, if elected, to sensibly consolidate the public service with a focus on protecting essential services, but making sensible reductions where there is duplication or excess capacity," she said.

But Mr Clare warned there would be cuts to both the department and schools under the Liberals, to fund their nuclear power plan.

"This bloke [Mr Dutton] is not a joke, he is a threat," Mr Clare said.

He added among their responsibilities, the 1,700 departmental staff were in charge of compliance of childcare centres.

But Senator Henderson assured voters the school funding agreement between the Commonwealth and state and territory governments will be safe under the Coalition.

Earlier this year, following the establishment of a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the United States, Mr Dutton installed a government efficiency spokesperson in his shadow cabinet.

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