As part of its measures to combat alcohol-fuelled violence, the Queensland Government is proposing that students should be educated on the dangers of alcohol. The Brisbane Times reports that it is currently unclear what form these measures will take, but that the approach will be ‘all-encompassing’ without necessitating changes to the school curriculum. State Development Minister Anthony Lynham, who campaigned against alcohol-fuelled violence, has stated that the dialogue needs to extend beyond the classroom to the playground and to peer conversations.
The Queensland Government has proposed legislation that includes measures such as lock-out laws to combat acts of violence committed by people under the influence of alcohol. Recently, the Brisbane Times reported that the death of Cole Miller following a random one-punch attack led to the Government’s strengthened resolve in relation to these laws. Prior to this attack, the Government had introduced the Tackling Alcohol-fuelled Violence Legislation Amendment Bill 2015 (the Bill) which targets alcohol supply and licencing laws and is currently being evaluated by a Parliamentary Committee.
These laws would be accompanied by an educational outreach program, which would aim to change cultural perceptions of alcohol consumption and reduce instances of violence. It is currently unclear whether this proposal involves encouraging and affirming current messages of respect or whether it will involve new targeted programs within schools, which would include giving primary teachers materials to assist them to work with students to prevent violence.
Given that the Bill focuses on licensed venues and timing restrictions on the service of alcohol, it isn’t immediately clear how these laws affect schools. However, the proposed legal changes in this area should be seen in a broader context in which the Government seeks to create a cultural change around the consumption of alcohol. Given the key role schools play in providing information to students, schools will be integrated into achieving this policy goal through education on the safe consumption on alcohol.
This is another example of the school curriculum being used by a State government to target a social issue. We previously discussed this trend in our articleMore States roll out domestic violence resources for schools in time for White Ribbon Day. It is clear that increasingly, schools are being called upon to participate in a social discourse around unacceptable behaviours, and that they have a core role in promoting awareness of issues of violence or abuse within society.
It is of particular interest that, although there is currently no clear proposal for the educational program, the Government has suggested providing resources to primary school teachers. Issues such as alcohol consumption are rarely included in the primary school curriculum, due to the age of students. No matter what form these changes will take, schools should be aware that they may have to integrate additional warnings or programs that help discourage alcohol-fuelled violence.