Report finds students in Victoria lack basic political knowledge

Experts are warning of a crisis in political and civics education as the proportion of students meeting standards has plunged to 20-year lows.

• O’Brien: Indigenous lessons must not impact the basics

Two thirds of year 10 and more than half of year 6 students in Victoria lack basic political knowledge, a national report has found.

Experts warn of a crisis in political and civics education as the proportion of students meeting standards has plunged to 20-year lows.

The study of almost 11,000 year 6 and 10 students found many were concerned about diversity, Indigenous issues, pollution, climate change, crime and racism.

But they are less likely than ever to go on school excursions to their local parliament house or law courts, to volunteer at school, raise charity funds or engage in political protests.

More than half of year 6 students in Victoria lack basic political knowledge.

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority report concluded: “There appears to be an emphasis on environmental issues and ­Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures”.

Year 10 students in Victoria say they spend more time in school on Indigenous issues (75 per cent) compared with Australian laws (70 per cent), the environment (68 per cent) and the Australian political system (66 per cent).

The report shows 45 per cent of students can answer questions about an Indigenous smoking ceremony, but only 19 per cent know about colonial statues.

And 68 per cent of year 10s can identify the importance of Pride in Sport programs, but only 22 per cent can identify a donkey vote on a ballot paper.

The report shows 45 per cent of students can answer questions about an Indigenous smoking ceremony. Picture: Brenton Edwards

The report found social media was having an impact. Students who posted or shared political content online regularly had lower average national political awareness than those who regularly talked about politics at home.

A total of 46 per cent of Victorian students in year 6 meet national standards in political education – down from 58 per cent 10 years ago.

By year 10, only one in three students meets the standard – down from 40 per cent a decade ago.

In 2023, just 110 year 12 students in Victoria studied Australian politics, and 421 studied Australian history.

Education Minister Jason Clare said he had “boosted funding for school students to get out of the classroom and visit Parliament House and the War Memorial”.

“It’s also why we’ve invested extra funding to give teachers more tools to teach civics education,” Mr Clare said.

Opposition education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson said there was a need for a “knowledge-rich curriculum which prioritises literacy and numeracy and other fundamentals such as a deeper knowledge of civics and citizenship”.

Dr Bella d’Abrera, of the ­Institute of Public Affairs, said the results “should shock every parent” and reflected the “woke” curriculum.

A spokeswoman for Social Education Victoria said civics teachers were proud of their work and would “welcome any additional resources that may become available”.