High school students flunk national civics and citizenship test with Education Minister slamming the results

HIGH school students’ scores in a national civics and citizenship test have plummeted. Thousands are ignorant of key aspects of Australia’s institutions, government processes and legal systems. Education Minister Simon Birmingham says it’s a “serious concern”.

HIGH school students have flunked a national civics and citizenship test, with thousands­ of them ignorant of key aspects of Australia’s system of government.

Only 38 per cent of the nation­’s Year 10 students achieved a proficient standard­ in the test, a result slammed by federal Education­ Minister Simon Birmingham as “woeful” and of “serious concern”.

In NSW the benchmark for the multiple choice assessment was reached by 43 per cent of Year 10 students, down from 61 per cent in 2010. But results for Year 6 students were stable, with 55 per cent nationally achieving or exceeding proficiency.

Education Minister Simon Birmingham slammed the “woeful” results. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Just 40 per cent of national Year 10 students understood the role of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Less than two-thirds of senior students knew why Australia had a policy of multiculturalism and 40 per cent believed Australia would become less peaceful as more people moved here.

Less than half of Year 10 students knew what the Coalition­ was and only two-thirds were able to say who decided whether someone was innocent or guilty in an Australian court.

Senator Birmingham said the latest results would be on the agenda at the next Education­ Council meeting “so we can develop a joint strategy to lift student performance in this area”.

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“The results are a stark reminder­ of the need to ­ensure our schools are giving students the opportunity and support to learn and ­expand their knowledge base across the entire spectrum of the curriculum,” Mr Birmingham said.

“While a strong focus on reading, writing and STEM subjects in our schools is obviously­ essential, students also need to learn the fundamentals to be able to fully participate and contribute to Australian society.”

Primary school students are setting the standard. Picture: Supplied

The assessment, held every three years and ­released by the Australian Curriculum­, Assessment and Reporting Authority, sampled­ 5624 Year 6 students in 336 schools and 4776 Year 10 students in 308 schools.

More than one third of Year 6 children indicated they were worried about terrorism­ and crime but pollution­ emerged as their biggest concern.

Primary students hitting the mark

PRIMARY students have become the standard bearers for young Australians’ understanding of democracy at work.

More than half of 5624 Year 6 children who sat the national civics and citizenship test achieved at or above the proficient standard, compared with just 38 per cent of Year 10 students.

More than two-thirds were able to answer correctly that an act of parliament was a law made by parliament, and 62 per cent of primary students knew the difference between rules and laws.

Kensington Public School Year 6 students Edeline Shalhoub, 12, Jonas Dowling, 11, and Georgia Fortmann, 12. Picture: Jonathan Ng

At Kensington Public School, students are taught the key values of Australian democracy such as freedom, equality, fairness and justice as part of their history and geography units.

Principal Louise Stone said that was supplemented by excursions to Canberra where students studied voting processes and how state, territory and federal laws were made.

Ms Stone said students also examined citizenship and the rights and responsibilities that being a citizen entailed.

“They explore the obligations that people may have with in a global context and reflect on the choices they must make in order to be responsible global citizens,” Ms Stone said.