The Australian Government has launched a new national online education platform designed to help schools respond to antisemitism, racism and other forms of discrimination, marking another step in its broader strategy to strengthen social cohesion across the country.

Known as the Social Cohesion Education Hub, the initiative is backed by a $6 million investment over five years and provides teachers with free classroom resources, lesson plans and professional learning materials aligned with the Australian Curriculum.

The platform has been developed by Education Services Australia with support from federal, state and territory education ministers, bringing together teaching resources that were previously spread across multiple organisations.

At launch, the Hub contains more than 50 educational resources, with an initial emphasis on helping schools understand and respond to antisemitism. The government says this represents the first stage of a broader rollout, with additional materials covering anti-racism, multicultural education and social cohesion to be added over time.

Education Minister Jason Clare said education has an important role in helping young Australians understand different cultures and build respectful relationships.

“There is no place for the poison of antisemitism anywhere in our society,” the minister said when announcing the initiative. He added that schools should have practical tools to help students navigate an increasingly diverse Australia with understanding and respect.

The resources include lesson plans, historical materials, classroom activities and professional development guides for teachers from early childhood through to Year 12. Many of the initial resources were developed in partnership with education specialists, museums and community organisations with expertise in Holocaust education, Jewish history and intercultural learning.

The launch forms part of a broader package of recommendations arising from the federal government’s Antisemitism Education Taskforce. Education ministers have also agreed to review elements of the national curriculum to identify further opportunities to strengthen teaching about Australian values, social cohesion and respectful civic participation.

Supporters of the initiative argue that providing educators with consistent, evidence-based teaching resources can help schools respond more effectively to discrimination while encouraging respectful discussion of difficult historical and contemporary issues.

At the same time, some education commentators have questioned whether the initial collection gives sufficient attention to other forms of racism and discrimination. They have suggested future updates should expand the range of perspectives represented within the Hub as additional resources are developed.

The Department of Education has acknowledged that the current release is only the first phase of the project. According to the department, the resource library will continue growing in response to feedback from teachers, researchers and education stakeholders, with further content intended to address identified gaps.

The materials are freely available online to educators, parents and members of the public. Government officials say making the resources widely accessible is intended to encourage consistent teaching approaches while supporting schools in fostering respectful, inclusive learning environments.

As Australian schools continue to navigate increasingly complex social issues, the new Hub is expected to become one of the central national resources supporting classroom discussions about discrimination, diversity and social cohesion.