Wednesday 18 May 2022 01:01 AM Newington College students forced to take ABC vote compass quiz and share ... trends now
At schools we have the obligation to educate the next generation as the best parents, partners, employees, employers, thinkers, carers, sportspeople and so on.
We also have an obligation, I believe, to educate them in their lives as citizens. We are not asked to exercise our obligations as citizens all that often – mainly every couple of years at an election.
But when those times come around, it does allow the school to talk a little about democracy and about how all of us can be good and reasonable citizens.
Democracy is a right and a privilege – many people in history would have (and did) sacrifice a lot to be a part of choosing their government.
Indeed in 1940 there were only 13 democracies on the planet, and in the 19th century there were only one or two.
Like many people I consider that democracies, while solid, do not look like the unshakable force of the future they might have 25 years ago.
A variety of factors have made decent quality, respectful discussions about different points of view more difficult in many parts of the world.
I think Australia is actually doing relatively well on this front. But this requires vigilance from year to year and generation to generation.
I spoke at the senior school assembly yesterday about the importance of our liberal democracy and suggested that elections were a good time for students to look at some of the economic and social issues that touch the political landscape and shape each parties’ platform.
I spoke about how your sons will soon be (and in some cases already are) of voting age, and that we believe it is important they think critically about issues that could affect their lives and
