International Politics

[Potato]

Absolutely no surprises here

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-18/civic-education-curriculum-assessment-students/104946138

"At a national level, the 2024 assessment found a substantial drop in the level of achievement. At both Years 6 and 10, the percentage of students achieving the proficient standard has declined significantly compared to the previous cycle," ACARA Chairman Derek Scott said.

"In addition, this is the lowest percentage of students achieving the proficient standard at either year level since the assessment began."

Just 28 per cent of Year 10 students met the proficiency standards compared to 38 per cent when the last test was taken in 2019.

Students in Year 6 were also tested. Forty-three per cent rated proficient in 2024 compared to 53 per cent in 2019.

Experts have warned this means students have failed to grasp basic concepts about Australian democracy and institutions, leaving them vulnerable to foreign interference when they become voters.

"[It's] a population susceptible to manipulation whether that's by social media or international hackers who want to kind of get in and cause trouble," Professor Stewart Riddle, from the University of Southern Queensland said.

When you have a whole generation running around thinking communism is actually rational and workable and thinking "defund the police" is a valid policy platform for any political party to hold, them shit had really got out of hand.

Professor Riddle said the results reflected long- standing inequities in Australian education. Indigenous, regional and remote students and those from less advantaged backgrounds performed worse than their peers.

Sometimes I think mandatory voting was a mistake and we should go back to when land ownership was required in order to vote, but then I look at the state of the US...

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said the country needed more young people to understand how democracy worked.

"This is why I've boosted funding for school students to get out of the classroom and visit Parliament House and the War Memorial. To understand what generations of Australians have fought and died for," he said.

"That's what the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate Program does. It allows school students to visit the War Memorial, Parliament House and Old Parliament House in Canberra."

Now test the politicians and the teachers!!