5 October 2018
You may have seen the National Children’s Commissioner Megan Mitchell in the news this week, calling for compulsory civics education for Australian students.
There is cause for concern. Last year’s National Assessment by ACARA reported:
• Just 38% of Year 10 students achieved at or above the proficient standard for their year level in civics and citizenship: significantly lower than the two previous surveys.
• There’s a significant and persistent difference in the results of non-Indigenous and Indigenous students.
• 74% of Year 6 students and 55% of Year 10 students with parents who had a bachelor’s degree or higher reached the respective proficient standard
This is a problem for Australian democracy and one that the ACHRE is seeking to solve. Our Citizenship for Humanity program seeks to help create a generation with the requisite knowledge, interest and political of human rights. ACHRE aims to empower young people to constructively participate as citizens, because this is the best way to preserve a healthy democracy.
It is good to see that our civics education is beginning to receive the attention it deserves, but there is much work to do. The civic education will be a core issue discussed at the 9th International Conference on Human Rights Education.
If you haven’t already done so, please register for the conference at www.ichre2018.com.au . The early bird registration rate has been extended to Wednesday, 10 October.
Visit the conference website regularly for updates, and look out for the hashtag #ichre2018 on social media.
We look forward to seeing you at Western Sydney University’s Parramatta Campus on 26-29 November.