CEFA is pleased to note that its Parliamentary Club initiative addresses the many issues raised in the report’s findings, with particular reference to the conclusion reached in Research Report Part 2: 

Our data shows that student elections for student governments in schools are a valuable training ground for adult political participation in a democracy. 

One of the major events in The Parliamentary Club project is the production of an authentic student election and subsequent creation of a bi-cameral system of student government in each school. This enables teachers to immerse their students in an optimal civics and citizenship learning experience for the duration of their school life.

CEFA has 22 schools currently implementing The Parliamentary Club across the nation, with another 28 awaiting training. The report also finds that:

 …to provide students with the opportunity to experience democratic processes, in particular through genuine democratic student elections and an effective student government, appears to be a valuable component in making the entire school experience a part of civics and citizenship education. 

The Parliamentary Club is specifically designed to engage young Australians in electoral and parliamentary process on a large scale, regardless of academic ability or student subject choice. This whole-of-school civics and citizenship initiative re creates a mini-democracy which remains in place throughout the students’ school life and not only increasing their civic knowledge, but also allowing them to experience what it means to be active citizens. 

Finally, the report states: 

In conclusion, this report has established, in a preliminary manner, that a wide range of political activities experienced in schools or during adolescent years in community organizations, can have beneficial effects on attitudes towards, and intentions to engage in adult political behaviour, such as voting. Therefore the experiences of young adults in secondary school are crucial determinants, as we see it, to the kind of politically aware and active citizens they become as mature adults.

Don Perna, Director of CEFA’s Parliamentary Clubs projects, stated in response to the report: 

“Reports such as the Youth Electoral Study and recommendations from the Parliamentary Inquiry into Civics and Electoral Education demonstrate that CEFA’s Parliamentary Clubs develop the knowledge, skills and capacities that are urgently required to educate young Australians to become responsible, engaged and active participants in the Australian democracy.”