School students are less educated on Australia’s political systems, democracy and civic processes ahead of this year’s Federal Election than they were 10 years ago, new research shows.
Last year, students from Years 6 to 10 delivered the lowest assessment scores recorded in the National Assessment Program sample Civics and Citizenship since the test began in 2004, according to data from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).
More than half of Year 6s (57 per cent) and almost three-quarters of Year 10s (72 per cent) failed to attain a ‘proficient’ standard in 2024.
This is a significant fall from 2019’s report, in which 53 per cent of Year 6s and 38 per cent of Year 10s demonstrated ‘proficient’ knowledge about Australian Civics and Citizenship.
Why has civics and citizenship knowledge declined?
The report suggests that decreased participation in civics and citizenship activities at school between 2019 and 2024 like excursions to parliaments or law courts, particularly in Year 10, may be responsible.
“It is vital that all young Australians get a strong grounding with civics education to feel engaged with social and political issues, so that they can make a valuable contribution as society’s future stewards,” said ACARA CEO Stephen Gnie.
Students value learning about civic institutions
Despite this decline, Aussie school students continued to value learning about our country’s history and civic institutions.
The also expressed concern about issues such as pollution, climate change, crime, and racism facing Australia, while the proportion of students accessing news via traditional media notably dropped.
Female students generally outperformed male students and those from major cities outperformed regional and rural students, as in previous assessments.
Could you pass the civics and citizenship assessment?
Both Year 6 and 10 assessments include both multiple choice and constructed response formats, with Years 6s required to complete 39 items in an hour and Year 10s to complete 41 to 43 items in 75 minutes.
Some questions cover the responsibilities of Australia’s civic institutions, democratic processes, and political systems.
What is the main reason that the ‘separation of powers’ exists in a democracy?
3. To make the system fast
4. To make the system cheap to run
Other questions test knowledge about Indigenous history and human rights movements in Australia, providing background information blurbs for students to respond to. For example:
Which one of the following best explains why students formed Student Action for Aborigines in 1965?
1. They wanted to belong to a group
2. They wanted to bring about positive change
3. They wanted to experience life in a country town
4. They wanted to put themselves in a challenging situation.
Some questions also veer into Australia’s foreign politics. For example:
Australia gives aid to a number of countries throughout the world. The Australian Government provided approximately $4 billion in Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2015–16.
Why would the Australian Government choose to provide $4 billion in foreign aid?
1. The Australian Government does not need this money for anything else
2. The Australian Government wants to control the countries that accept Australia’s aid
3. The Australian government believes in the value of helping people around the world
4. The Australian Government wants to prove to the rest of the world that Australia is a rich and powerful nation
So, how would you fair?
