SHARE
From classroom to community: civics education and political participation in Australia
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 From classroom to community: civics education and political participation in Australia
|
1.11 MB |
The strength and stability of Australia’s democracy depends on the capacity of our citizens to confidently engage with politics and cast an informed vote. Australia’s system of compulsory voting means that all Australians need to be informed to participate in our democracy and elections. This is particularly important at a time when democracies around the world, including Australia, are facing rising disengagement, distrust, and misinformation and disinformation in an increasingly complex online information environment.
The findings of this inquiry into civics education and participation in Australia shows low media literacy and inconsistent implementation is reducing engagement.
The committee recommends nationally aligned and mandated civics and citizenship content for high-school students, with greater accountability and consistency in how this is implemented, by working more closely with state and territory governments. A four-part approach incorporating both immediate and longer-term actions is proposed.
- Strengthening media and digital literacy in the Australian Curriculum.
- Expanding media literacy support for adults, with a focus on vulnerable groups.
- Enhancing development and access to reliable, translated resources to counteract disinformation.
- Advancing research on media consumption patterns and recommender systems on social media.
Key findings
- Civics education is highly inconsistent across states and territories.
- Many teachers lack expertise and knowledge in civics and citizenship.
- There is a poor level of media literacy in Australia, creating a barrier to civic participation and engagement.
- Vulnerable groups face greater barriers to accessing civics education and participating in democracy.
- Some Australians report never having received any form of civics education.
- A lack of civics education can result in feelings of alienation and distrust in political processes and institutions.
- Civic engagement is further threatened by misinformation and disinformation, which spread rapidly on social media.
