| Outputs |
Parliamentary education resources and programs. |
Curriculum-aligned programs for students and teachers are delivered at Parliament House, in classrooms though the outreach program and digitally to encourage ongoing engagement with Australia’s parliament. |
Feedback from teachers using Parliamentary Education Office services shows very high levels of satisfaction with the education program.
Teaching programs were consistently conducted in accordance with the booking schedule. |
Relevant and accurate print and digital resources are produced that explore the role and value of the Australian Parliament and illuminate the aims and achievement standards of the Australian Curriculum. |
Parliamentary Education Office websites and publications are updated and refreshed regularly to ensure accuracy. |
Provision of a range of resources and services that facilitate parliamentarian engagement with the community in order to increase citizen understanding of and engagement with Parliament. |
Senators and members are satisfied with the provision of services and support. |
Overview
Jointly funded by the Department of the Senate and the Department of the House of Representatives, the Parliamentary Education Office (PEO) delivers parliamentary education services on behalf of the Australian Parliament to students, teachers, and others across Australia. To date, more than 2.3 million students have expanded their knowledge of the Australian Parliament through participating in a PEO program.
In addition to operational management by the Department of the Senate, the PEO is guided by the PEO Advisory Committee. The committee is comprised of interested members and senators, meets twice a year and reports to the Presiding Officers.
The full-time equivalent staffing level for the PEO in 2020–21 was 11.1 (in 2019–20 the FTE staffing level was 11.4.) The cost of providing the service of the PEO in 2020 – 21 was $1.5m (compared to $1.6m in 2019–20).
Education programs: onsite, digital and outreach
The PEO is a leader in civics and citizenship education in Australia and delivers education programs for teachers and students onsite at Parliament House, in classrooms across Australia and digitally through videoconferencing.
School visits to Parliament House continue to be significantly impacted in this reporting period by travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. For schools able to visit Parliament House, all programs were conducted in a COVID-Safe manner, and for schools unable to complete their visit, a videoconferencing program was offered. In 2020–21, 28, 742 students from 444 schools across Australia participated in onsite PEO programs. These figures represent a 69 per cent decrease on pre-pandemic 2018–19 student participation numbers, and a 53 per cent decrease on 2019–20 participation numbers.
In 2020–21, the PEO conducted outreach within a 250km radius of Canberra. This allowed the program to be delivered amidst changing travel restrictions and also provided opportunities for schools who, despite geographical proximity, have not previously connected with the PEO. During this period the PEO delivered outreach to 483 participants from 13 schools in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales (electorates of Hume, Eden-Monaro, Bean and Canberra).
The number of students and teachers who took part in a videoconferencing program continued to increase, with 9,075 participants in this reporting period. This is an increase of over 298 per cent on 2019–20 participation rates and an increase of 700 per cent on 2018–19 participation rates. This increase is partly attributable to the restrictions imposed due to the pandemic, and partly attributable to the PEO continuing to establish a brand and presence as a quality provider of digital education. In this reporting period, the PEO also upgraded the existing videoconferencing studio and established a second studio, paving the way for the PEO to enhance its provision of digital education programs about the Australian Parliament.
Content: online and print
PEO websites provide information about parliament and curriculum-aligned teaching resources for all Australian teachers and students. In 2020–21 a total of 1.06 million users (representing 2.38 million unique page views) were recorded.
The PEO also produced and distributed a range of publications during the reporting period, including a new teaching booklet for teachers of Politics and Legal Studies and new classroom posters illustrating key aspects of our system of government such as the Australian Constitution.
Services for members and senators
The PEO provides dedicated support to encourage and assist senators and members to engage with schools and students. Senators and members are offered a complimentary annual allocation of education and information materials for students, teachers, and others in their communities. Senators and members can also request a tailored brochure, Representing You, to assist them when explaining their work as an elected representative. In 2020–21, 126 parliamentarians requested their allocation (this compares with 150 in the previous reporting period). The unusual circumstances of lockdown and the reduced ability to visit schools may explain the slightly lower take up than in previous years.
Performance outlook
Over the next reporting period, the PEO will continue to follow all relevant health and other advice to safely deliver education programs for Australian teachers and students. An important part of this work will be to continue to enhance and promote videoconferencing programs and other services as a method to engage students and teachers who are unable to visit Canberra.
Through the ongoing provision of high calibre digital and print content for parliamentarians, teachers, and students, the PEO will continue to provide quality parliamentary education services for citizens across the country.