Electoral Matters Committee considers civics education beyond the classroom

THIS WEEK the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters will hold two public hearings as part of its inquiry into civics education, engagement, and participation in Australia on Wednesday, September 11 and Friday, September 13.

Committee Chair, Senator Carol Brown said, "As this inquiry continues, a key theme has been the importance of civics education outside the classroom setting.

"Equal participation in our democracy and the casting of an informed vote depends on a range of factors such as how inclusive and accessible civics education is and how it is being taught outside of school.

"The committee looks forward to exploring how parliaments and universities teach civics and digital literacy and how youth engagement with our democracy can be improved. We will also be learning more about how students navigate the abundance of readily available information online and how they can better identify mis- and dis-information," Senator Brown said.

Public hearings details

Date: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
Time: 9.45am to 10.30am
Location: Committee Room 1R1, Parliament House, Canberra
Witness: Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Hon Milton Dick MP

Date: Friday, 13 September 2024
Time: 8.30am to 12.30pm
Location:Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra
Witnesses: News and Media Research Centre, University of Canberra; Parliamentary Education Office; Universities Australia; Dr Sarah Moulds; Australian Electoral Commission.

A livestream of the hearings will be available via the Parliament’s Watch, Read, Listen website.

Further information about the inquiry, including submissions received and past public hearings, is available on the inquiry webpage.

 

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