Students starting at some of Australia’s most prestigious universities will need to prove they understand sexual consent by sitting a mandatory course.
An online 90 minute test has already been implemented at University of Melbourne, where all undergraduate students must pass the test before beginning study.
New students at the University of Sydney must also sit the compulsory test, and those living in residential colleges at the Australian National University will need to pass it as well, The Age reports.
The one and a half hour long animated course touches on how levels of intoxication would affect each person’s ability to give consent to sexual activity
Students are also schooled on boundaries, misconceptions about consent and how others should intervene if they see sexual harassment occurring
The move has been praised for being an important first step in addressing sexual harassment
The one and a half hour long animated course touches on how levels of intoxication would affect each person’s ability to give consent to sexual activity.
Students are also schooled on boundaries, misconceptions about consent and how others should intervene if they see sexual harassment occurring.
Desiree Cai, University of Melbourne’s student union president, praised the move for being an important first step in addressing sexual harassment.
‘Discussions about what consent is didn’t exist a couple of years ago,’ Ms Cai said.
‘There has been a real shift but we would like to see more action in the future.’
An animated online 90 minute test for new students about sexual consent has been implemented at University of Melbourne (pictured)
The progressive move comes in light of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s startling findings in its report on sexual harassment and assault on campuses.
The report found one in two students were sexually harassed at least once on university campuses in 2016.
So far about a quarter of University of Melbourne’s students had sat the test, but Universities Australia chief executive Belinda Robinson said it would take more than one quiz to solve the problem.
Students living in residential colleges at the Australian National University will need to pass the test before beginning their courses of study
‘There’s a significant amount of activity occurring and a comprehensive effort is very much in evidence,’ Ms Robinson said.
National Union of Students women’s officer Kate Crossin also felt more was required in order for significant societal change to occur.
She was not convinced the Consent Matters course was effective, saying ”It hasn’t been found to reduce sexual harassment or assault. Face-to-face training is much better.’