News from the PEO
November 2007
A visit from Numbulwar Community Education Centre (CEC)
Students from Numbulwar CEC in the East Arnhem region (NT) participated in a PEO role-play program at Parliament House on 30 November. In the role-play students became members of the House of Representatives or played the roles of Speaker, Clerk and Serjeant-at-Arms. Three bills were created by the group. There was a lively discussion and all spoke, with a lot of agreement across both sides of the chamber. Everyone had a great time participating.
The PEO exchanged information with students and teachers about how rules and laws are made in the Numbulwar community and how laws are made in federal Parliament for the whole of Australia. Also, students looked at the electoral map to see where their electorate (Lingiari) was and how far they had travelled to get to Canberra. It had been a long journey and for most their first big trip!
Parliament gets going!
The Clerk takes on her robe of office
October 2007
Primary & Secondary Principals' Conference: working together
The Parliamentary Education Office booth in the Conference Exhibition Hall
The PEO, along with around 650 Secondary and Primary principals, converged on Hobart this year to attend the 2007 Primary and Secondary Principals' Conference from 28 September to 3 October.
The 2007 'Winds of Change' Conference gave principals an opportunity to discuss the changing issues affecting schools across Australia.
Delegates were welcomed by The Hon. David Hawker MP, Speaker of the House of Representatives, who emphasised the important role of leadership and decision-making, both in Parliament and in schools.
The PEO presented a variety of resources at a booth in the Conference Exhibition Hall, with a focus on the rapid growth of the Internet, featuring the PEO website.
Overall it was great opportunity to engage with principals and to exchange positive and constructive ideas about furthering the education of students about federal Parliament.
L to R: David Tuck (National Assoc. of Head Teachers, UK), Andrew Blair (President of Secondary Principals Assoc.), Lyn Green (Professional Learning Service, QLD), Chris Reid (Director, PEO) Glyn O'Brien (Primary Principals Assoc., SA), Angela Drysdale (St Margaret's Anglican Girls School, QLD), Leonie Trimper (President of Primary Principals Assoc.), The Hon. David Hawker MP (Speaker of the House of Representatives), Judith Anne Seery (St Anthony's Catholic School, QLD)
September 2007
Ten years of Talkback
Luke Bo'sher, Alex Farrar and Steve Cutting at 10 years of TBC.
Supporters and participants of the Talkback Classroom (TBC) project gathered at Parliament House last week to celebrate 10 years since the forum was first heard as a regular broadcast segment on ABC Radio Triple J.
Since 1997 the now familiar format of a panel of three secondary school students conducting an interview with leading decision makers has emerged as a unique vehicle for engaging young people in parliamentary education and political discourse.
Former student panellists travelled from Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart to attend the anniversary. Many of them remembered the project as a life-changing experience, including Alex Farrar who recounted her interview with Prime Minister John Howard in 1998.
Remarking on the success of the project, producer Stephen Cutting congratulated the project team and commented on the innovative educational program put together for participants. He said "students who take part in Talkback do a lot of work and they are supported by the PEO team who put together a great background briefing program and a comprehensive package of reading material for each panel."
Senator Natasha Stott Despoja and John Studholme at 10 years of TBC.
Speakers at the event included: John Studholme from the PEO, Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, National Museum Education Manager David Arnold, program producer Stephen Cutting, former TBC panellists Alex Farrar and Luke Bo'sher, and PEO Director Chris Reid.
An interview on 10 years of TBC can be heard on ABC Radio National's Media Report.
August 2007
Rotary Adventure in Citizenship: Agents of change
Students in Canberra for the 19th Rotary Adventures in Citizenship program
The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate.
From 12 to 17 August 2007, 50 Year 11 students from around Australia met in Canberra for the 19th Rotary Adventures in Citizenship program (RAIC). As part of the ‘Agents of Change’ program, delegates spent three days at Parliament House exploring parliamentary concepts such as law making, scrutiny and representation through a range of activities facilitated by the PEO.
Delegates took part in a variety of role-plays including election campaigns, two-minute statements, a senate inquiry, and amending a bill in a senate debate. Delegates also had the opportunity to meet with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate, their local members, senators from their state and guest presenters.
Testament to an inspiring week was offered by one of the delegates, “I am more enthusiastic about my nation’s capital, the parliament and government than ever before and RAIC was an extremely enjoyable experience, socially, politically and educationally.” Another delegate summed up the week saying that the program “exceeded all of my expectations. I discovered new things about parliament, made some new friends and left with knowledge for life!”
June 2007
TBC Hat-trick!
A Talkback Classroom (TBC) hat-trick in the last month has had senior secondary students from all over Australia interviewing three of the nation's foremost movers and shakers on topics ranging from indigenous affairs to the place of Australian history in Australian schools to how to solve the Australian water crisis. All things considered—not a bad experience to have even before you've graduated from school!
During this intense period, students researched, wrote, travelled, talked and learnt at three times the pace in order to be suitably prepared to interview:
- Mal Brough, Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
- Julie Bishop, Minister for Education Science and Training
- Malcolm Turnbull, Minister for Environment and Water Resources
Students prepare for an interview with the Hon. Julie Bishop MP
The recording studio at the National Museum of Australia—the hot seat for the interview MP
TBC culminates in a three day intensive program that starts with a day of briefings with advisors to ministers and shadow ministers, research specialists and parliamentary press gallery members in Parliament House.
Each program ends with an interview at the National Museum of Australia, during which students put their hard work and preparation to the test and represent the views of young people.
Ministerial Matters
The Jindabyne Senior Citizen group begins their ‘Little Lunch Sitting’ spotting politicians in the ministerial wing of the federal Parliament. Perhaps it is precision timing or just good luck that no sooner has the tour begun when the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Mal Brough and the Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott appear in the corridor. After a brief ‘hello’, giggles and a pause, the group hurries on—someone has spotted the Treasurer, Peter Costello. They flock to the Treasurer as one particularly sociable senior jests, 'Mr. Costello, you're a very handsome man!' 'I have witnesses!' says the Treasurer, chuckling.
The seniors leave the Treasurer to take a quick look at the Prime Ministers Courtyard, and then make their way to the Members’ Guests Dining Room for a bit of lunch and a chat with the Prime Minister—it must be precision timing!
Topping off an extremely fruitful morning of ministerial sightings, the seniors take a deep breath and prepare to test their own ministerial virtuosity and powers of interrogation in a Question Time role-play. It is two o’clock as all funnel into the House of Representatives. Some are intrigued by the cacophony of Question Time, others thrilled by the opportunity to witness their parliament in action, while it’s no secret that for others the attraction lies in trying to catch the eye, not of the Speaker, but of the Treasurer!
For more information: Customised Programs.
Benches make their Mark on Parliamentary Education!
The PEO is proud to announce the arrival of a set of chamber benches to the Education Centre, Parliament House. These 'clever' benches can be green to represent the House of Representatives or red to represent the Senate. Together with existing props they create an even more authentic chamber atmosphere for students and teachers engaging in the PEO parliamentary role-play.
From chairs ...
... to red benches
... to green benches
The Benches Story
The building team construct the benches
Flip! Now you see the House, now you see the Senate!
Comfy, but not too comfy—robust debate required...
The new look chamber
The first sitting of the new look chamber
Senators try to catch the President's eye
The chamber rises at the end of a big day of parliamentary proceedings!
Please note: not all classes are held in the Education Centre.
May 2007
PEO continues its work in Melbourne: young parliamentarians divided over diabetes debate
For two days in May, the ‘Raceview’ room at the University of Melbourne became the House of Representatives chamber with 780 students from 11 primary schools in the Footscray area becoming members of parliament. The role-play debate began with the young 'Minister for Health' introducing the Diabetes Type 2 Bill—a bill designed to increase funding for diabetes education for young people.
Nicola Roxon MP, with students from the Footscray area
The Member for Brandon from St. Monica's argued for the bill saying:
Type 2 diabetes used to start from the age 40 and up but now the age is getting younger and teenagers are getting type 2 diabetes. This is a huge problem. It's time to act now.
The Member for Dimitri argued against the bill saying:
People know about the dangers of drinking soft drinks and eating fatty foods. But it doesn’t change things. It's too much money to waste. We should spend this money on the elderly.
The special role-play program was developed by the Parliamentary Education Office (PEO) at the request of the federal Member for Gellibrand, Nicola Roxon MP and involved students from the following primary schools; Footscray, Corpus Christi, Wembley, Newport Lakes, St. Margaret Mary's, Dinjerra, Footscray North, Queen of Peace, Seaholme, Altona North and St. Monica's. Highlights for students included researching; writing and delivering a speech; learning about the issue of diabetes; meeting their local member and dressing up as parliamentary officials. One teacher from Seaholme Primary reflected:
I thought the task may have been too difficult but the children didn't and I thought they responded beautifully.
March 2007
Teamwork in Melbourne
What a team!
- 1 university
- 4 PEO educators
- 7 schools
- 9 pre-service teachers
- 15 classroom teachers and approximately
- 350 primary school students!
… made up the participants in a Parliamentary Education Office (PEO) Pre-service Teacher Program conducted in Melbourne, from the 5 to 9 March 2007. The La Trobe University, Bundoora Campus coordinated the placement of students in several local schools including Kew Primary School, Doncaster Primary School, Westgarth Primary School, Boroondara Primary School, Newlands Primary School, Meadowbank Primary School and Preston South Primary School.
This program was a success because of the cooperation of several interrelated groups:
- La Trobe University which supported the desire of its pre-service teachers to be involved in an experience-based program during their teaching practicum
- the schools that supported the concept from the beginning and that facilitated the program in their school
- the classroom teachers who were willing to take on new ideas while making their classroom practices available to aspiring teachers
- the pre-service teachers who wanted to learn about and experience student-focused teaching methodologies and
- the students who were keen to participate and to learn about the federal Parliament.
The results—well everyone benefited, but most of all the students who through the efforts of their teachers got to consider some pretty interesting issues in contemporary Australia such as whether junk food should be banned in school canteens, whether Australia should provide aid to East Timor, whether more water recycling plants should be built throughout Australia and finally whether the study of fairy tales and fables should be forbidden in the classroom.
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