澳大利亚众议院议长Milton Dick正推行一项全面的公民教育倡议，以应对民众对民主制度理解不足的问题。[1]根据澳大利亚教育课程评估报告局的数据，2024年仅28%的10年级学生达到公民素养国家标准，较2019年的38%显著下降，创20年来新低。[1]Dick已完成200次学校访问，其中澳大利亚总督Sam Mostyn参与了最近一次，他计划今年访问全部150个联邦选区。[1]
Dick的改革方案包括在第6和第10年级推行全国统一的公民教育课程。[1]此外，每名联邦议员将获得一根仪式权杖用于课堂访问，新成立的全国青年议会将使年轻澳大利亚人赴堪培拉体验立法过程。[1]这些举措旨在培养下一代对民主的认识。Dick指出，全球仅31个国家被列为自由民主制度，全球四分之三的人口生活在专制统治下。[1]
Australia's Speaker of the House of Representatives Milton Dick is undertaking an ambitious push to revitalize civic understanding among Australians through targeted school visits and curriculum reform.[1] Dick has already completed 200 school visits and plans to reach all 150 federal electorates this year as part of his effort to strengthen democratic engagement.[1]
The initiative responds to alarming trends in civic literacy among young Australians.[1] According to the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, only 28 percent of Year 10 students met the national civic and citizenship standard in 2024, a significant decline from 38 percent in 2019.[1] Dick advocates for the implementation of a nationally consistent civic education curriculum in Years 6 and 10 to address this deterioration.[1] He has highlighted the broader global context, noting that only 31 countries are classified as liberal democracies while three-quarters of the world's population lives under authoritarian rule.[1]
The Speaker's broader vision includes institutional measures to deepen young Australians' connection to parliamentary processes.[1] Each federal MP will receive a ceremonial mace to use during classroom visits, and a new national youth parliament will enable young Australians to travel to Canberra to experience the legislative process firsthand.[1] Australia's Governor-General Sam Mostyn participated in Dick's 200th school visit, underscoring official support for the initiative.[1]