Connected Kids: Australian students show their stuff in Civics And Citizenship
Chair of the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs the Hon Martin Dixon MP today released results of the 2010 National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship testing program.
The tests are taken every three years by a statistically significant sample of Australian Year 6 and Year 10 students. The findings for 2010 show that the level of civic knowledge and understanding of Year 10 students has been steadily improving since the introduction of the testing program in 2004 while Year 6 results remain stable.
Mr Dixon said the results of a questionnaire distributed with the test to gauge students’ civic engagement also found high levels of interest and awareness among young Australians.
“These results are very good news as they show that students are developing the skills and values needed for active citizenship,” Mr Dixon said.
“The results show that young Australians are keen participants in Australian democracy and society, with significant majorities agreeing that it is either ‘very important’ or ‘quite important’ to learn about Australia’s history, to stay informed about political issues, and to learn about what happens in other countries.”
“What is perhaps most pleasing is the fact that 82 per cent of Year 6 respondents and 78 per cent of Year 10 students also said that it was either ‘very important’ or ‘quite important’ to participate in activities to benefit the local community.
“This paints a picture of a young Australia that is interested in both the mechanics of government and the vibrancy of civil society, and suggests that our future is in good hands.”
The Civics and Citizenship tests were overseen and managed by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) to 7,246 Year 6 students from 335 schools and 6,409 Year 10 students from 312 schools as part of the National Assessment Program’s Sample Program, which also tests students’ ability in science literacy and information and communication technology (ICT) literacy on a rolling, three-year basis.
The 2010 NAP – Civics and Citizenship Report has been posted on the National Assessment Program’s website, www.nap.edu.au where support information about how to further interpret the results is also available.
Media contact: For media enquiries and for interviews with ACARA Chair, Barry McGaw AO or ACARA CEO Peter Hill contact James Morrow on 0424 727 016 or media.contact@acara.edu.au
