In my advanced year nine humanities class, the term we learnt about Australia’s parliamentary systems was often peppered with the teacher repeatedly stating, “I know it’s not interesting, let’s just rush through it, okay?”. She was right, somewhat. As a political nerd and a huge fan of learning about our political systems, I quite enjoyed this unit, just like I’d enjoyed it in grade six. But I could also put myself in my classmate’s shoes and realise that it was probably far more boring than other topics. Sure, I would take this over geography any day, but for many of my classmates, this unit only pointed out the feeling that parliament had completely tuned them out.
I’m someone whose life has been filled with a lot of contrasting life experiences. In grades 8 and 9, I attended a lovely state school in the regional town where I was raised, which was rife with poverty and whose walls were literally falling down. Now, I am privileged enough to attend an all-girls school in the heart of Brisbane, where I can participate in many life-changing activities. When the news broke that Australian Civic Education rates have dropped to an all-time low, I wasn’t surprised. Many of my peers, in every environment I have had the privilege to be in, have zero idea about how politics work. Many rely on half-hearted knowledge of American election processes, believing we have a president and are also a two-party system. But this is something we all know if we’ve read the news: “Australian young people are lowkey bad at Australian civics”. Okay… But no one’s asking young people one simple question. “Why?”
I’ll start by saying that, in my opinion, blaming this on young people’s lack of care or interest in politics is shallow and misleading. Young people care, and they care SO MUCH. They just don’t know how to show they care. And they aren’t being taught, nor provided with appropriate resources. Young people are human beings, and human beings dislike engaging with things with little to no reward. I’m not talking about charity or volunteering here, which do give you something in return (the warm fuzzies, connection to community, a sense of fulfilment, etc). I’m talking about politics.
Once, a politician told me I wouldn’t make change if I didn’t join a party. Not only that, but I should recognise that politics is charity, and young people were selfish for not “doing more”. I disagree. Young people are NOT given much in return for joining or volunteering for a political party. Young people see that they aren’t given a voice in the most obvious way possible (voting) and thus deduce that they have no voice whatsoever. This isn’t true, yet sometimes it feels that no one in politics is actively engaging with young people in areas with the lowest civic education rate enough for them to realise this.
If you are sitting in a classroom, which is underfunded and unkempt, sitting and listening to a teacher tell you how the three-tier system works, there’s a huge chance you’re sitting there thinking “So what?!”. In my opinion, civic education must be reworked to centre what young people can do to involve themselves in our democracy, in ways that are meaningful and fulfilling for them. There needs to be engagement from a variety of different levels of government, coming to all sorts of schools and environments to sit, listen and learn from the young people in their communities.
It’s much easier to learn about something when you can associate it with something you have had an opportunity to interact with: “Senator Blah works in the senate, which is different to Minister Blah, who serves in the house of reps, and I remember when they came and talked about how their roles are different”. It’s easier to learn about something when you get hands-on interaction. It’s easier to learn about something when it isn’t an abstract promise of a vote four years in the future.
Democracy and civic engagement aren’t just about politics. It’s fundraising, community, mutual aid, art and culture, protesting, and so much more. Young people will learn when they feel included. Young people will learn when they can get something in return (think…Making a change in their community or getting listened to), and young people will learn when they see how they fit into our parliamentary system. So yes, young people’s civic education is kinda crap. But if there’s one thing for sure, it’s that it’s not our fault.
Top photo source: Canva
