Michael Ferguson (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Education, Science and Training. Has the minister seen reports today that 77 per cent of year 10 students do not know which historical event occurred on 26 January 1788? Minister, what is your response? What is the government doing to promote the teaching of Australian history?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bass for his question. I can confirm for him that recently an Australia-wide test on civics and citizenships was conducted of 20,000 Australian school students across 567 schools. I can also confirm to the member for Bass that only 23 per cent of year 10 students were able to identify a historical event that gives rise to Australia Day; in other words, 77 per cent of year 10 students were not able to state why we have a public holiday on Australia Day. They were not even able to hazard a guess. This is yet another example of the failure of state and territory governments in the running of their education systems.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Macklin interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has already been warned!

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Childcare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Plibersek interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Sydney is warned!

Duncan Kerr (Denison, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Kerr interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And so is the member for Denison!

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This highlights how the teaching of Australian history has been downgraded in our schools. Let me put it in context. This morning, the New South Wales Labor Minister for Education and Training was asked about the teaching of Australian history. She was trumpeting the success of her government in teaching Australian history. She was asked why we celebrate Australia Day. She said:

Why do we celebrate Australia Day? Well, we celebrate Australia Day because that’s the—um—the day we became a nation, when the states joined together, the Federation of Australia. It’s an important day to understand that history.

Memo to the New South Wales Labor education minister: Australia Day commemorates 26 January 1788. Federation was on 1 January 1901.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Boothby is warned! The minister will be heard.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian government believes that all students, indeed all education ministers, should have a basic understanding of Australian history by the time they leave school. That is why we put Australian history on the national agenda with the convening of the Australian History Summit. The Howard government supports the recommendations of the Australian History Summit.

Duncan Kerr (Denison, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Kerr interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Denison will remove himself under standing order 94(a).

The member for Denison then left the chamber.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is why the Howard government supports the recommendation of the Australian History Summit that the teaching of Australian history be a stand-alone subject. It should be mandatory in years 9 and 10. The Australian government calls on federal Labor to support the Howard government’s call for higher standards in our schools through greater national consistency. Specifically, we call on federal Labor to unequivocally support our call for Australian history to be a mandatory stand-alone subject across school curricula.