How I teach a love of Australia in a critical way

Press/Media: Article/Feature

Description

In a speech to the Centre for Independent Studies, Education Minister Tudge reiterated his desire for the curriculum to focus on building a “love of country”. This follows previous comments that he does not want students to leave school with “a hatred” of Australia because he saw the proposed history curriculum for years 7 to 10 as painting “an overly negative view of Australia”. He is worried, for example, that Anzac day, “the most sacred of all days”, is presented in the curriculum as a contested idea. The history curriculum under review seeks to promote understanding and use of historical concepts by exposing students to different perspectives based on evidence. This echoes goals of Australian schooling signed by all education ministers, which include development of critical thinking and intercultural understanding. I recently responded to the Ministers concerns by arguing that these debates about the curriculum, alongside critical inquiry into Australia’s past, are signs of democracy in action. My interest in this, in part, arises from being a teacher and father of two children whose Australian ancestors fought and suffered in both World Wars. So how do I try to teach my kids about history in which events are contested and in a respectful way?

Period25 Oct 2021

Media contributions

1

Media contributions

  • TitleHow I teach a love of Australia in a critical way
    Degree of recognitionNational
    Media name/outletThe Australian
    Media typeWeb
    Country/TerritoryAustralia
    Date25/10/21
    DescriptionIn a speech to the Centre for Independent Studies, Education Minister Tudge reiterated his desire for the curriculum to focus on building a “love of country”. This follows previous comments that he does not want students to leave school with “a hatred” of Australia because he saw the proposed history curriculum for years 7 to 10 as painting “an overly negative view of Australia”. He is worried, for example, that Anzac day, “the most sacred of all days”, is presented in the curriculum as a contested idea.

    The history curriculum under review seeks to promote understanding and use of historical concepts by exposing students to different perspectives based on evidence. This echoes goals of Australian schooling signed by all education ministers, which include development of critical thinking and intercultural understanding.

    I recently responded to the Ministers concerns by arguing that these debates about the curriculum, alongside critical inquiry into Australia’s past, are signs of democracy in action. My interest in this, in part, arises from being a teacher and father of two children whose Australian ancestors fought and suffered in both World Wars.

    So how do I try to teach my kids about history in which events are contested and in a respectful way?
    Producer/AuthorLucas Walsh
    URLhttps://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/how-i-teach-a-love-of-australia-in-a-critical-way/news-story/d5b3887008252e7d16c48076eff70d2f
    PersonsLucas Walsh

Keywords

  • young people
  • CYPEP
  • Australian Curriculum
  • history curriculum