A Sydney deputy principal says Respectful Relationships Education is helping to build a stronger culture of empathy, equality and positive communication in schools, as the NSW Government prepares to roll the program out to an additional 150 public schools in 2026.
Deputy Principal of Burwood Girls High School Ms Katherine Lye, whose school took part in the pilot, said the program was about empowering students with practical skills to form safe and inclusive relationships.
“Our vision is to drive effective Respectful Relationships Education to strengthen a culture of empathy, equality and positive communication within our school community,” Ms Lye said.
“We want to empower every student with the skills to build safe and inclusive relationships.”
The comments come as the NSW Government announced a major expansion of the revamped Respectful Relationships Education program, with 150 additional public schools set to begin implementation from Term 1, 2026.
The expansion follows a pilot involving 10 NSW public schools, which came together late last year to share their experiences delivering the evidence-informed, age-appropriate program.
The Respectful Relationships Education program takes a whole-school approach, focusing on embedding equality, empathy and safety across the school community. It provides teachers, leaders and school staff with access to curriculum resources, professional learning and system-based expertise to help address the drivers of gender-based violence and promote gender equality.
The NSW Government has committed $8 million to the program as a priority under its first dedicated primary prevention strategy, Pathways to Prevention. The Federal Government has also contributed $17.6 million through the Commonwealth Consent and Respectful Relationships Education Measure.
Under the expansion, every NSW public school will have access to resources, tools and support to embed a whole-school approach in their local context, including new Kindergarten to Year 12 Teaching Respectful Relationships curriculum resources.
Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Ms Courtney Houssos said preventing gender-based violence needed to start early.
“Preventing gender-based violence must start long before harm occurs, and the NSW Government’s investment in Respectful Relationships Education is about giving young people the tools to develop healthy, respectful relationships in their lives,” she said.
Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Ms Jodie Harrison said the program was designed to challenge rigid gender norms that underpin violence.
“Through our Respectful Relationships Education, we are giving our children and young people the tools to challenge rigid gender norms that are the underlying drivers of gender-based violence so they can live free of violence,” she said.
The Respectful Relationships expansion sits alongside other primary prevention initiatives, including increased funding for early education programs and community-based prevention partnerships across NSW.
