PRIME MINISTER494
STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING MP
MEMBERSHIP OF THE CIVICS EXPERT GROUP
The Government has finalised today the membership of the Civics Expert Group.
I foreshadowed the creation of the Expert Group in my address to the New Educational
Realities Conference on 15 June 1994. The Expert Group will provide the Government
with a plan for a program of -public education. and information on. Australian government,
citizenship and the constitution. The Group's terms of reference are attached.
The Expert Group will be chaired by Professor Stuart Macintyre, the Ernest Scott
Professor of History in the University of Melbourne and a Council Member of the
Constitutional Centenary Foundation. Professor Macintyre has published numerous
books on Australian history, most recently A History for a Nation.
The other members of the Group will be Dr Kenneth Boston, Director-General of the New
South Wales Department of School Education; and Ms Susan Pascoe, Co-ordinating
Chairperson ( Policy) of the Catholic Education Office in Melbourne.
Under the terms of reference the Expert Group will provide the Government with a
strategic plan for a non-partisan program of public education and information on the
Australian system of government, the Australian Constitution, Australian citizenship and
other civics issues. In addition, the Expert Group is to monitor the implementation of the
education program and contribute to its evaluation.
The terms of reference will enable the Expert Group to consult widely, with education
authorities, with political parties and with other expert and interested bodies of individuals
in the field, such as the Constitutional Centenary Foundation.
I have asked the Group to report by 30 November 1994.
As a nation we do not seem to know enough about our system of government and our
national achievements. As I said in my address on 15 June, the Government's education
program will strengthen our democracy by enlivening our appreciation of it. It will inform
all Australians of the privileges and responsibilities of Australian democracy and ensure
that Australians have sufficient information about our system of Government to
participate fully in decision-making processes.
CANBERRA 23 June 1994
ATTACHMENT A
CIVICS EXPERT GROUP
TERMS OF REFERENCE
The function of the Civics Expert Group is to provide the Government with a
strategic plan for a non-partisan program of public education and information on
the Australian system of government, the Australian Constitution, Australian
citizenship and other civics issues. In addition, the Expert Group is to monitor the
implementation of the program and contribute to its evaluation.
The Group will draw on an assessment of the current level of knowledge of
governmental, constitutional, citizenship and civics matters in the community,
based on research by an expert consultant working in consultation with the Group.
The goal of the Government's public education program is to ensure that
Australians have sufficient information about our system of Government to
participate fully in decision-making processes. The public education program
would therefore be expected to cover a broad range of topics which may include:
the Australian Constitution, its history and development; how the federal
government is structured and operates, including the role and working of the
Parliament, the Judicature and the Executive, together with the Governor-General
and the Monarch; Australia as a federation and the roles of the three tiers of
government; the role and responsibilities of the citizen in government ( eg voting,
jury duty); the principles of responsible parliamentary government; and the
symbols and traditions of our government.
The education program should address the needs of school students and others
in the community. The strategic plan should be available to the Prime Minister by
November 1994. The Government will arrange for its publication. The
strategic plan should have regard to relevant initiatives undertaken by other
organisations and should include recommendations concerning:
initiatives to address deficiencies in the level of public understanding of
governmental, constitutional, citizenship and civics matters;
approaches to the development and testing of appropriate educational
materials; and
the timing, implementation and evaluation of the education program.
In developing the strategic plan, the Expert Group should have regard to the
following objectives for the education program:
to educate and inform the public about governmental, constitutional,
citizenship and civics issues in Australia;
to help Australians understand their rights and responsibilities as citizens and
to promote good citizenship; and
to enhance Australians' capacity to participate fully in decision-making
processes affecting these issues.
In developing the strategic plan the Group should ensure that recommended
initiatives: have regard to rigorous quality standards and best practice in teaching and
education; are planned to ensure that materials are available on an equitable basis;
are non-partisan and likely to attract wide public acceptance;
take account of the need for rigorous standards of accountability;
use existing programs and delivery mechanisms where possible; and
are planned to provide for appropriate evaluation to assess efficiency and
effectiveness.
The Expert Group should consult, to the extent practicable, with relevant
organisations such as the Constitutional Centenary Foundation, with political
parties and with Australia's government and non-government education sectors.