Teachers have been accused of indoctrinating students as the coalition flags public service cuts and withholding state funding in an education overhaul.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was criticised for "taking a leaf from the Trump playbook" after suggesting some teachers were pushing an agenda with their students, hinting federal funding should be tied to how classes were taught.
"We should be saying to those that are receiving that funding, that we want our kids to be taught the curriculum," he told a Sky News forum.
"We want our kids to be taught what it is that is needed to take on as they face the challenges of the world and not to be guided into some sort of an agenda that's come out of universities.
"There is a silent majority on this issue right across the community."
When later asked at a media conference about his community forum remarks, Mr Dutton said students were being indoctrinated in the classroom.
Education Minister Jason Clare hit back, saying the national curriculum was signed off by the former coalition government.
"I'm focused on making sure that our kids can read and write, not this extreme agenda of Peter Dutton," he told reporters in Sydney.
"The fact that Peter Dutton isn't focused on the fundamentals shows that he's distracted by these culture wars."
During the same forum, the opposition leader questioned the operations of the federal education department.
"People ask ... 'why have you got a department of thousands and thousands of people at a department called the Department of Education in Canberra if you don't run a school?'" he said.
Mr Dutton's comments had drawn comparisons to US President Donald Trump, who had signed an executive order to dismantle the federal education department and leave the running of schools to the states.
Australian Education Union president Correna Haythorpe said the remarks from Mr Dutton were alarming.
"He is taking a leaf from the Trump playbook by going for the Department of Education by threatening to cut thousands of jobs, control what teachers teach - and pull funding if they don't comply with his ideology," she said.
"Peter Dutton's proposed control of the school curriculum is chilling, when we see what is happening in the US with book banning and the destruction of teacher's professional autonomy."
The opposition has said it will look to cut 41,000 public service jobs if the coalition wins the May 3 election, but it has not specified which departments will be targeted.
