16 September 2009

St Edmund’s School Wahroonga joined the growing list of schools implementing CEFA School Parliaments (CSPs).  National Director of the CSPs, Mr Don Perna, attended the ceremony following which he stated “This school offers, within a regular high school model, a range of educational enrolment options and programs for teenage students with disabilities which include intellectual disability. Teachers at St Edmund’s focus on providing their students a wide range of programs that address academic as well as personal and social goals and to empower them with the ability to 'self advocate'. Teacher Carl Southern and Judy Newbert attended CEFA’s School Parliament professional training in 2008 and implemented the strategies presented during that workshop to further reinforce these goals. Mr Southern. in particular, has presented the students of St Edmund's with an outstanding opportunity to learn about our democratic processes and build self-confidence, he should be congratulated for his efforts.”

With the guidance and support of their teachers, the students at St Edmund’s created political parties, conducted an election and formed a school parliament complete with Government and Opposition.

At the opening of the St Edmund Parliament, Mr Don Perna presented the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition with the Parliamentary Mace. Mr Perna also had the pleasure of conveying a message of well wishes to the Parliament on behalf of the school mentor Mr Ian Hyman. In part, the message told students that “the essence of our political system is expressed in the way that we live our lives. We expect to be able to speak freely and without limitation, we expect to be able to select the people that will govern us and who will create a vision for an improved standard of living with equity and justice for all.” Mr Hyman went on to wish the St Edmund’s school parliament every success and express the hope that it ‘is as successful as our parliament in Canberra and that the students will learn from the process the importance of Australia’s democratic system to our every day lives.”

September 10, 2009

Year 6 students from St Patrick's College Strathfield opened their CEFA School Parliament with their first sitting earlier today following a successful election between the Earth Party and the Workers Party. Eminent community guests attended including the Parliament mentor Mr Douglas Sutherland AM JP, former Lord Mayor of Sydney. Upon presenting the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition with the Parliamentary Mace Mr Sutherland talked of his pride of St Patrick's as he is an ex-student of the school graduating with the class of 1949. He also gave the Parliament a short history of the Mace, the role of despatch boxes and an explanation of the workings of the Australian system of government.

Nine bills were tabled and debated by the relevant cabinet and shadow cabinet ministers. All speakers presented their argument powerfully and with individual flair and style. A senate will now be formed to debate and vote further on the bills which range from the health minister's proposals to improve healthy eating to solar panels proposed by the environment minister and anti-bullying legislation proposed by the peace minister. Outstanding alternative solutions for each bill as put up by the opposition will need to be debated further.

Above: The nine bills are tabled and debated by the
Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet, watched by an engaged
press gallery of interested students. 

CEFA Executive Director Mrs Kerry Jones attended the opening sitting and played the role of the Governor-General. Upon declaring the Parliament open she stressed the importance of the young students engagement and life-long participation as a part of serving their families, local and wider communities and Australia.

Mrs Jones added 'I hope some of the students here today will think about going into a public life and make an important contribution as have so many students from this great school including Mr Sutherland. The staff and CEFA community wishes the St Patrick's Parliament a great success for the future. Mr Jim Walters, Head of Junior School, deserves full congratulations for his outstanding efforts as the instigator and now the speaker of the St Patrick's Primary College Parliament.

Above: The Prime Minister from the Earth Party being
congratulated by the Parliament mentor, Mr Doug
Sutherland AM JP, watched on by Governor-General of
the day, Mrs Kerry Jones.

September 2, 2009 

Friday 28^th August marked the beginning of CEFA’s School Parliaments in the Australian Capital Territory.

Teachers from five schools covering both NSW and the ACT attended the professional development conducted by CEFA’s School Parliaments National Director Mr Don Perna in our nation’s capital.

31 July 2009

CEFA proudly announces the finalists including winners and commended students of the 2008 Governor-General’s Undergraduate Essay Competition. The Hon Justice Dyson Heydon AC hosted the final judging in his Sydney Chambers of the High Court of Australia on 22 July, 2009.

His Honor’s distinguished colleagues in judging were Dame Leonie Kramer AC DBE (CEFA Trustee and Former Chancellor of the University of Sydney), Mr Malcolm Mackerras AO, Mrs Kerry Jones (CEFA Executive Director) and Dr Peter Gerangelos (Senior Law Lecturer, USyd Law School). The panel was assisted by Joel Williams, CEFA Scholar and Phuong Van, CEFA Administrator, (Constitution Education Fund-Australia). 2008 was the first year in the competition that a combination of legal and humanities questions were offered.