Brauer College, Warrnambool male students made to 'apologise for their gender' to female classmates

A school has sparked outrage by forcing its young male students to apologise on behalf of their gender to their female classmates.

Brauer College in the south-western Victorian town of Warrnambool held an assembly on Wednesday where boys were told to stand up in a symbolic gesture of apology to girls and women.

One parent said her son in Year 7 was left confused about why he had to stage the bizarre apology, where boys were told to say sorry that women are raped and sexually assaulted.

Brauer College in Warrnambool, south-western Victoria has been criticised for holding an assembly where its young male students had to apologise on behalf of their gender

‘He said that he was made to stand up and basically apologise… it wasn’t explained properly to the male students what they were doing or why they were doing it,’ the mother Danielle Shephard told 7News.

‘They really should have made more of an effort to notify the parents.’

A male student also criticised the assembly in a Snapchat post.

‘Today at Brauer they made every guy stand up and apologise to every girl for rape, sexual assault,’ the student wrote.

‘Guys go through as much s**t as girls do.’ 

Brauer College Principal Jane Boyle said the apology part of the assembly was ‘inappropriate’ but defended the school’s intentions.

A mother of a Year 7 pupil in the assembly Danielle Shephard said her son was confused why he had to apologise

‘The assembly included the screening of a video message by Brisbane Boys’ College Captain Mason Black about being proactive in stopping incidents of sexual assault and harassment,’ she said in a statement.

‘As part of this discussion boys were asked to stand as a symbolic gesture of apology for the behaviours of their gender that have hurt or offended girls and women.

‘In retrospect, while well-intended, we recognise that this part of the assembly was inappropriate.’ 

The assembly came just days after Wesley College in Melbourne was hit with claims some of its male students were ranking female students ‘based on their looks’. 

Multiple harassment and assault allegations have been levelled by students at the school.

Victorian Acting Premier James Merlino has since moved to make teaching consent compulsory in all government schools from next month.

The initiative previously did not explicitly direct schools to teach consent and instead focused on relationships, sexuality and safety. 

Consent classes will soon be made mandatory for students in Victorian state schools (stock image)

From term two, the directive will compel state schools to teach the government’s Respectful Relationships training on free agreements.

Mr Merlino said Victoria and other states should not be complacent on ensuring consent was taught well in classrooms.

‘Respectful Relationships is proven to make a real difference and is a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Family Violence,’ the education minister said in a statement on Sunday.

‘It is a program that should be rolled out nationwide. But we have to listen to students, who say they want and need a greater focus on this issue in the classroom.

‘It is why we will mandate the teaching of consent in all government schools in an age-appropriate way.’