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Education ministers across the country are proposing major changes at universities to reduce rates of sexual violence in higher education.
Key points:
State and territory ministers come together to tackle sexual violence on university campuses
Proposed measures include mandatory reporting, a national code and a student ombudsman.
The National Higher Education Code would require student support and publication of reports by universities.
According to the latest 2020 National Student Safety Survey, 14,300 students are sexually assaulted each year in college settings.
This represents an average of 275 per week, or 12,925 so far in 2023, although experts say that number could be even higher as students return to campus after lockdown.
State, territory and federal education ministers met Tuesday afternoon specifically to discuss the campus crisis and hear from survivors and safety advocates, with some even brought to tears.
A national action plan containing seven proposals was put forward, including requiring universities to report annually the number of complaints they receive on this issue and a national code for higher education on gender-based violence.
Ministers are also proposing a national student ombudsman, as the ABC revealed last month, and are now awaiting community feedback on the draft plan.
Survivors and advocates address ministers in emotional discussion
Ministers were struck by presentations from students and their advocates during the meeting, with some crying as they listened to what the group had to say.
Camille Schloffel, who leads the Stop student campaign, was among those who addressed ministers yesterday and called on states, territories and the federal government to stay the course on reform.
“It will take a lot of legislative reform and a lot of dedication from all jurisdictions to really engage on this issue, particularly as it relates to student housing.”
Ms Schloffel felt she was finally being heard by the government and said students would hold the federal education minister to his commitment that strong action would be matched by effective enforcement powers.
“Relying on universities’ self-assessment saying ‘this is what we’re doing, it’s great’, they’re going to have to do a lot more than that.”
Under a draft action plan published by ministers, the federal government would introduce a National Higher Education Code.
The national code would be promulgated by the federal government
Federal politicians across the spectrum have sharply criticized universities for not doing enough to prevent and respond to sexual violence, with federal Education Minister Jason Clare calling on the sector to step up its efforts.
As part of the draft action plan released by ministers, the Federal Government would introduce a National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence, developed with states and territories.
The code would require universities to provide student support and academic adjustments to victims of sexual violence, education on respectful relationships and to report their progress and statistics on the issue to the government annually for are made public.
Under the plan, a new unit of gender-based violence experts would be created within the Ministry of Education to implement the new code across the university sector.
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Boarding schools – where students are particularly at risk of sexual violence – will also be subject to the code.
The new plan also calls for improved processes within colleges so that students do not have to notify multiple staff members of a traumatic incident and that universities and residence halls work together to ensure that the well-being of these students is protected across campus.
During the Senate’s investigation into consent laws, senators heard testimony that victims were forced to stay in the rooms where they were raped and attend classes or events with those whom they accused of having attacked them.
Convince universities to keep their promises
Ahead of this week’s meeting, universities have been trying to get ahead of potential changes, with the sector’s peak body, Universities Australia, releasing a new charter on sexual violence.
All 39 member universities signed, although the ABC understands some were reluctant to do so.
But the document is almost identical to commitments made more than five years ago in response to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s landmark Change the Course report.
State and territory governments put forward plan to curb sexual assaults at universities