There’s a new push to teach Australian students about civics. Here are 6 ways to do it well

A federal parliamentary inquiry has just recommended civics and citizenship become a compulsory part of the Australian Curriculum, which covers the first year of school to Year 10.

The committee also recommended a mandatory civics and citizenship course for all Year 11 and 12 students to prepare them to vote.

This comes amid growing concern about misinformation on social media, as well as increasing antisemitism and declining social cohesion.

This is not the first time there have been calls to improve the quality of civics education in Australia – such calls have been made as far back as 1994.

As a researcher in political education, I argue we need to make sure civics education is relevant, engaging and given adequate space in the curriculum.

What is civics?

At the moment, civics and citizenship is included in the national Australian Curriculum. But it is not mandatory and many states only make passing reference to it in primary school. Some states provide more opportunities in high school.

The topics covered include how governments and democracy work, how laws work, the rights of individuals, diversity and national identity, and how to critically evaluate different sources of information.

Every three years since 2004, a national sample of Year 6 and Year 10 students are assessed on their civics knowledge, skills and attitudes through a national test.

In the most recent results from 2019, 53% of Year 6 students were at or above the national proficient standard for civics, while only 38% of Year 10 students were at or above the standard. Year 10 students’ results have shown a substantial decline since 2004.

This suggests many young people are leaving school without the knowledge, skills and values to sustain our democracy.

Both Australian and international studies have repeatedly shown civics and citizenship education makes a positive difference to young people’s political participation (including the likelihood they will vote), understanding of democracy and support for democratic values.

What does good civics education look like?

1. Make sure it has its own subject

At the moment, civics education might be included as part of students’ work in history or other humanities subjects. But research shows it should be taught as a separate subject, otherwise it can get lost among other material.

2. Don’t forget senior students

It should also be taught at relevant points in students’ lives.

While Year 11 and 12 are times when students get to pick most of their subjects for major exams, it is important they also study how the electoral system works. Many will vote in elections before they even leave school.

3. Make it relevant to young people

As important as they are, some aspects of civics – such as lawmaking or how parliament works – may seem dry to young people.

Research shows teachers need to make the content engaging. This means students are shown how lessons relate to the real world.

For example, a lesson on how parliament works could focus on the passage of contentious legislation such as banning social media for young people. Or lessons on misinformation could look at how social media had an impact on a particular issue or election.

4. Have class discussions

Research also shows students need to learn civics knowledge, skills and values in various ways, including role play, problem-solving, simulations and direct instruction.

Students should be encouraged to ask questions in an open classroom environment. Class discussions are important for controversial issues so both sides of issues can be discussed in a supervised environment.

5. Have school elections

My research has found school elections (for school captains or a student council) can engage students in democratic processes. This way, they see first-hand how elections work and how voting can have an impact on their lives.

6. Train teachers in law and government

It is also important for teachers to have specific training in law, government or politics. Research shows teachers with these backgrounds have a greater impact on students’ civic knowledge – students come away knowing more. Similarly, teachers with these backgrounds achieve better results with students’ civic media literacy – or ability to handle misinformation and “outrage” online.

This means existing teachers need to have professional opportunities to upgrade their civic knowledge and skills.

Ultimately, it will take well-trained teachers, teaching a compulsory subject, to see Australian students appropriately educated about our democracy and how to participate in it.