Civics and citizenship at the forefront of education agenda

This is the thought-provoking prompt which launched the Australasian Parliamentary Educators Conference (APEC) in Melbourne.  

‘Parliaments are immediate lessons in civics and citizenship. Often unforgettable lessons,’ keynote speaker Dr Adam Brodie-McKenzie said.

‘And civics and citizenship education matters more than it ever has in Australia right now,’ he said. 

State and Territory Education Ministers have agreed to mandate teaching of the subject matter in high school classrooms across the country.  

‘What has been lost in last week’s announcement is that Education Ministers also agreed to the changes that have strengthened civics and citizenship around social cohesion,’ Dr Brodie-McKenzie said.

‘This includes strengthening civil discourse as a skill in the curriculum.’

Dr Brodie-McKenzie is Humanities and Social Sciences Coordinator in the School of Education at La Trobe University and President of the Social and Citizenship Education Association of Australia.

His central focus is working with policymakers, researchers, teachers, students and other key stakeholders to further civics and citizenship education.

‘The status quo is such that students are probably more likely to visit a parliament than they are to do civics and citizenship as a subject in their school,’ Dr Brodie-McKenzie said.

“ ‘You are the frontline of civics and citizenship education in Australia.’ ”

Dr Adam Brodie-McKenzie, keynote speaker

About 35 educators from across Australia and the Pacific region have come together for the annual three-day conference under the 2026 theme of ‘Connections’.

Dr Brodie-McKenzie encouraged attendees to think about how they are delivering parliamentary education, such as through role plays which are offered at the Parliament of Victoria (PoV). 

‘Think for a moment, what is the lesson students receive from this?’ he said.

There was special praise for PoV’s education team for maximising citizenship opportunities over the years.

‘What about Victoria 2050, where students problem solve what this great state can be like, with so much data and detail at their fingertips to make these decisions,’ Dr Brodie-McKenzie said.

‘They have many resources on action and influence, leadership and advocacy, that students can apply not only to Parliament but to their own schools.

‘Even a guide to challenging conversations, truly prescient to help schools implement the new civil discourse skill in the curriculum. And they don’t just provide the resources for schools, they provide ongoing professional learning for teachers, to strengthen their civics and citizenship teaching when it is most vital.

‘There has never been a more important time to be doing this work and your leadership in this space must be celebrated.’

Victoria has hosted the event three other times (2017, 2009 & 1996) over the last 30 years.