The Australian Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters is seeking direct feedback from students and schools about civics and citizenship education.
The Committee has released a survey on civics and citizenship education in Australian schools as part of its current inquiry.
Committee Chair, Ms Kate Thwaites, said the Committee wants to hear from current primary or secondary school students, recent school leavers and educators.
“The Committee is keen to get the perspectives of school students and educators on the way civics is taught in Australian schools. This survey will help the Committee understand how students and educators feel about civics and citizenship education, how civics and citizenship are taught in Australian schools, and how students and educators engage with social and political issues,” she said.
Ms Kate Thwaites said it is concerning that many young Australians don’t have the grounding in civics to set them up to be confident participants in the nation’s democracy.
Data from the National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship shows that in 2019 only 38 per cent of Year 10 students and 53 per cent of Year 6 students achieved the ‘proficient’ standard.
“The Committee is investigating how civics forms part of the Australian curriculum, examining the importance of media literacy, and listening to the voices of young people about how best to improve civics education,” Ms Thwaites said.
“The Committee will engage with young people, along with people in remote communities, new migrants and culturally and linguistically diverse Australians, to ensure that everyone in Australia is able to participate fully in our democratic system.”
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