Civics and Citizenship Education
The Civics and Citizenship Education programme is funded by the Australian Government, and it seeks to:
- promote knowledge and understanding of Australia's system of government amongst Australian students
- equip Australian students with the skills, attitudes, values and dispositions to fully participate in the civic life of their communities and the nation
All States and Territories have agreed on the importance of the achievement of the goals of the Civics and Citizenship Education programme, and have collaborated in its implementation across the nation. Choose from the links above to learn more about the project.
Background
A report by the Civics Expert Group in 1994, entitled 'Whereas the people…' outlined the findings of a community consultation into the level and extent of civic knowledge generally in the Australian community. The Group reported that amongst the submissions they received in every State and Territory from educators, Education Ministers, parents associations and the general public, was an encouraging desire to know more about Australia's political institutions and its system of government.
A national approach
The Adelaide Declaration on National Goals for Schooling in the 21st century is an agreed list of educational outcomes agreed by each State and Territory and the Australian Government. The Civics and Citizenship Education programme seeks to assist schools to achieve the goals of the document, specifically the goals relating to citizenship and knowledge below
Schooling should develop fully the talents and capacities of all students. In particular, when students leave school, they should:
1.3 have the capacity to exercise judgement and responsibility in matters of morality, ethics and social justice, and the capacity to make sense of their world, to think about how things got to be the way they are, to make rational and informed decisions about their own lives, and to accept responsibility for their own actions.
1.4 be active and informed citizens with an understanding and appreciation of Australia's system of government and civic life.
Resources in the classroom
Acting on the findings of the 'Whereas the people…' report, the Australian Government in 1997 established the Discovering Democracy School Materials Project Schools, which oversaw the development of the Discovering Democracy Units for primary and secondary schools. The materials were distributed to every Australian school in 1998, and, along with the Discovering Democracy Australian Readers, form the basis of the Civics and Citizenship education programmes in Australian schools.
The Discovering Democracy Units assist teachers to engage students in Civics and Citizenship education, and are organised around four central themes.
- Should the People Rule?
- Law
- Democratic Struggles
- Men and Women in Political Life
Each theme is addressed in a different fashion using content appropriate to the designated level of schooling - lower secondary, middle secondary, upper primary and upper secondary.
A guide to the curriculum
The Statements of Learning for Civics and Citizenship Education demonstrate to teachers in every State and Territory the opportunities for Civics and Citizenship education in their curriculum. The Statements, derived from the State and Territory curriculums, group civics and citizenship opportunities to learn at Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 into 3 categories: Government and Law; Citizenship in a Democracy; and Historical Perspectives.
By using the statements, schools can ensure that students achieve against the Key Performance Markers at Years 6 and 10 in the Civics and Citizenship Assessment Domain. It is anticipated that curriculum developers in the States and Territories will ensure that the Statements are implemented in their respective curriculums by 2008.
Achieving in civics and citizenship education
The MCEETYA Civics and Citizenship Assessment Domain measures student achievement of the goals in the Adelaide declaration against specific criteria, or Key Performance Measures at Years 6 and 10. Students are assessed for both their knowledge of Australia's system of government, its history and institutions, as well as their ability to be active, informed and active citizens.
The National Assessment Program - Civics and Citizenship Years 6 & 10 Report contains the results of sample testing of students against the key performance markers at Years 6 and 10. It was released by MCEETYA in December 2006.