Ensuring South Australians are better prepared to combat misinformation is a motivating factor behind the introduction of a new civics education program set to roll out across the state’s schools.
The program will embed civics and citizenship in the state’s education system via specialist classes and integrated learning. The goal is to make South Australia the first state with a specialist civics teacher in all classrooms, with the initiative aiming to minimise the impact of a declining trust in democracy.
South Australian Education Minister Blair Boyer describes the reforms as “nation-leading”.
“Things really start to unravel when people think there’s no point in engaging in government or politics in any way,” says Boyer.
“It’s about finding things that are already taught and finding the link between those and civics.
“Statistics is a very good example. How can statistics be used or manipulated? That’s something you might be learning about in civics. It’s about pulling the themes together and making a coherent picture for our young people.”
Currently, the Australian national curriculum mandates teaching civics as part of the curricula across primary and secondary years three-eight. This includes learning about the role of the public service and other government institutions.
Specific changes in South Australia include:
- All year seven and eight public school students will study civics and citizenship for an hour per week
- Every subject in years nine and 10 will have civics and citizenship incorporated into it
- Public schools will be supported to introduce new opportunities for students to participate in school-based democratic opportunities
- All public-school students will be able to participate in an annual Active Citizenship Convention, starting in 2025, putting their education into practice.
Investing in improved knowledge
A working group chaired by SA Department for Education CEO Martin Westwell will oversee the implementation of the South Australian reforms, with specialist civics training for existing humanities and social sciences teachers expected to take up the majority of the $18.4 million price tag.
The need for a national conversation about civics education was sparked in the midst of the misinformation environment during the Voice to Parliament Referendum.
A Federal parliamentary inquiry is currently examining the implications and solutions to this at the national level, with committee chair Kate Thwaites saying the trends were concerning.
“Data from the National Assessment Program — Civics and Citizenship show that in 2019 just 38 per cent of Year 10 students and 53 per cent of year six students achieved the ‘proficient’ standard,” Thwaites says.
“We want all Australians to be able to participate in our democracy and our elections,”
