Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters

Committee activities (inquiries and reports)

Inquiry into civics and electoral education

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Terms of Reference

A healthy democracy needs citizens who are informed, appreciate and participate in the various elements of our representative democracy. Civics education, including electoral education, is a key part of this goal and helps to ensure that citizens are adequately informed and able to participate effectively.

The Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters is inquiring into the adequacy of electoral education focusing on but not limited to:

• the current status of young people’s knowledge of, and responsibilities under, the Australian electoral system;
• the nature of civics education and its links with electoral education;
• the content and adequacy of electoral education in government and non-government school programs of study, as well as in TAFE colleges and universities;
• the school age at which electoral education should begin;
• the potential to increase electoral knowledge through outside school programs;
• the adequacy of electoral education in indigenous communities;
• the adequacy of electoral education of migrant citizens;
• the role of the Australian Electoral Commission and State and Territory Electoral Commissions in promoting electoral education;
• the role of Federal, State and Local Governments in promoting electoral education;
• the access to, and adequacy of funding for, school visits to the Federal Parliament; and
• opportunities for introducing creative approaches to electoral education taking into account approaches used internationally and, in particular, in the United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom and New Zealand.