March 11, 2009

On March 6^th, 2009 the Constitution Education Fund Australia (CEFA) conducted the teacher training for a further six NSW primary schools to start Parliaments. The six schools trained by PC Director Don Perna were: Canterbury Primary School, Kegworth Public School, St Brendan’s Primary School, St Columba’s School, St Fiacre’s Primary School and St Luke’s Grammar School. Apart from St Luke’s and Canterbury, these schools have joined with Rozelle Primary School to form CEFA’s first funded Parliaments in schools Cluster Group an initiative supported by Leichhardt Rotary.

CEFA’s Executive Director, Mrs Kerry Jones, said earlier today: 

" School Clusters are an effective way to set up school parliaments because they provide local communication between local school communities. I thank the Leichhardt Rotary Club for their vision in supporting the first CEFA PC Cluster Group to be named the Leichhardt PC Cluster”.  

The participating teachers received guidance on how to implement a whole-of-school civics, citizenship and student leadership project, building learning communities and incorporating cross-disciplinary activities. The PC training is an endorsed course by the NSW Institute of Teachers. 

Teachers were given a resource kit that included civics education DVDs, written materials and posters. CEFA will now provide them with the necessary support to start a school parliament. CEFA is delighted to be partnering with the Leichhardt Rotary Club which is a local community of civics minded business and professional leaders in the Leichhardt area. They are helping the local citizens of the future be better informed Australians. We hope this is the first of many like-minded local community groups who will help CEFA to set up more local community Clusters of Schools to start Parliaments around the nation. 

For further enquiries, please contact CEFA Executive Director, Mrs Kerry Jones on (02) 9251 8511 or 1800 009 855