Civics and Citizenship Student Results

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON (15:37): I rise today to speak about the alarming deterioration in Australian students' civics and citizenship proficiency. According to exam results released yesterday, in 2024 students performed worse than in any other year since the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) began testing in 2004.

Whilst this news is concerning, what is worse is that South Australian students have ranked among the worst in the nation for basic understanding of civics. These results show how the Albanese government is failing young Australians when it comes to education. According to ACARA's media release, there has been a significant decline in the percentage of students achieving a proficient standard in civics and citizenship, with only 28 per cent of year 10 students meeting the standard in 2024 compared to 38 per cent during the last testing cycle in 2019.

The Advertiser reported that only 38 per cent of year 6 students in South Australia managed to achieve the national proficiency standard or higher. This was a fall from 43 per cent in 2019 and 55 per cent in 2016. That number was even lower in the older cohort, with just 19 per cent of year 10 students achieving the national proficiency standard or higher, falling from 29 per cent in 2019 and 34 per cent in 2016. It was the second worst rate in the country, coming just above the Northern Territory.

These abysmal results have exposed a worrying trend that is going from bad to worse. The writing has been on the wall, and calls to address this issue are not new. Not only has there been a failure to course correct, but the decline in test results has rapidly accelerated in the last five years. ACARA's 2024 test results represent the last of a long line of wake-up calls that young Australians are failing to grasp fundamental principles underlying our democracy and institutions. Students are leaving school without the essential values, knowledge and skills needed to uphold our system of governance and way of life.

In a world where ideological conflicts persist, it is more crucial than ever for young Australians to understand the historical significance of democratic values, the key characteristics of our government and their impact on our national identity. We must prioritise fostering critical thinking in the next generation, ensuring they are articulate, engaged and informed about the decisions that shape their futures. A healthy democracy depends on informed and active citizens who question, who challenge and who hold leaders to account.

Civics education must be given the attention it deserves to strengthen our democratic institutions and empower students to become active, informed citizens—citizens who understand the impact of political decisions on their lives and can make well-informed choices about who should lead their communities. The strength of Australian democracy relies on future generations embracing its core principles. It is essential that we preserve the rich legacy entrusted to us by those who came before us, many of whom made sacrifices to protect our freedoms.

Democracy is not a given; it is a system that requires constant vigilance, participation and protection. History has shown that even stable democracies can erode when people become complacent, disengaged or take their freedoms for granted. The rights and liberties we enjoy today can just as easily be lost if we fail to uphold them. May we never forget that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, and may we never take our democracy for granted.