Context 5. Civics and citizenship education is premised on the propositions that each student can learn and that the needs of every student are important. The Civics and Citizenship curriculum will allow for inclusive teaching practices that take account of the abilities of all students and respect the diverse range of students in Australian schools. This is a key proposition of The Shape of the Australian Curriculum, V3.0. 6. Civics and Citizenship education is uniquely positioned to provide opportunities for young Australians to become active and informed citizens in a global context. It presents exciting and challenging opportunities for school authorities, schools and teachers to prepare students for citizenship, both as part of the formal school curriculum and as part of a wider whole- school program. This could include participation in experiences external to the school but linked to the school curriculum (for example, community activities, parliamentary education programs, civic institution visits and electoral commission programs). Over the past two decades in Australia and internationally, there has been a broadening of the concepts, processes, and practices in Civics and Citizenship education. In particular there has been an increased emphasis on the role of active citizenship, both as explicit content and as a key outcome of Civics and Citizenship education. 7. Civics and Citizenship education in schools helps citizens to participate in and sustain their democracy. The link between schooling, citizenship and democracy is enshrined in every set of Australian education goals, most recently in Goal 2 of the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australia (MCEEDYA, 2008), which states that all young Australians should become active and informed citizens [who]: ▪ act with moral and ethical integrity ▪ appreciate Australia’s social, cultural, linguistic and religious diversity, and have an understanding of Australia’s system of government, history and culture ▪ understand and acknowledge the value of Indigenous cultures and possess the knowledge, skills and understanding to contribute to, and benefit from, reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians ▪ are committed to national values of democracy, equity and justice, and participate in Australia’s civic life ▪ are able to relate to and communicate across cultures, especially the cultures and countries of Asia
▪ work for the common good, in particular sustaining and improving natural and social environments ▪ are responsible global and citizens. Informing principles 3 Context 8. As an identified subject, the Australian Curriculum: Civics and Citizenship will contribute to achieving the educational goals identified in the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (2008, pp. 8-9) and will set out what young people need to learn and be able to do in order to become active and informed citizens in Australia and globally. It will do this by specifying content descriptions and achievement standards, guided by a rationale and a set of aims. In delivering the Australian Curriculum: Civics and Citizenship, education authorities, schools and teachers will decide on the most appropriate organisational approaches and pedagogy to achieve these aims. 9. Since 2004 there has been a National Assessment Program (NAP) for Civics and Citizenship in Years 6 and 10, at three yearly intervals (2004, 2007 and 2010). Data sets from the NAP sample for Civics and Citizenship will provide a useful reference point for developing a progression in knowledge, understanding and skills, across the relevant years of schooling for Civics and Citizenship. Informing principles 4 Informing Principles 10. The principles that will inform the Australian Curriculum: Civics and Citizenship include the following: a) Democracy in Australia involves a constitution, a well-established representative