Parliamentary Club Overview

The club has grown in popularity since 2004. Over 90 students have become members in a wide variety of roles. This is the largest group of students involved in an extra-curricula activity (rivalling sporting clubs and Rock Eisteddfod) that St. Joseph’s has seen in 25 years.

The club prides itself as a project, which is inclusive of students regardless of age, gender, academic or social backgrounds. “There is a place for everyone in The Parliamentary Club”.

Most attempts to engage young people in learning about the democratic process in Australia draw the attention of those who are academically advanced, often excluding the majority of students who should also have the opportunity to be part of this very important area of education.

The students in The Parliamentary Club learn about Civics and Citizenship by playing the roles which are essential to living in a democratic society. We have elected officials, political parties, our own political journalists, two organizations whose task it is to monitor the integrity of all within it i.e. O.S.I.O and the St Joseph’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

Students are drawn to the role that is reflected in their interests and personal strengths. They then begin a self-directed journey of learning about civics, at their own pace and specific to their abilities and simultaneously teaching the wider school community just by its existence.

The elected parliament, the St Joseph’s House of Representatives, sits as regularly as the school calendar permits, ideally three sittings each term, and has become an influential mechanism for change within the school. It has successfully changed the structure of student leadership by installing the traditional Student Representative Council as the school’s Upper House (Senate), and has begun the task of improving the lives of students here at St Joseph’s and continuing to educate students in the area of civics.

The SRC’s role has now expanded and has a dual purpose:

1. Traditional leadership role, concentrating on fundraising, social activities etc

2. Its place in our bi-cameral system of student government as the school's Senate

Here are some of the activities that the members of the club and the wider school community have participated in:

~ Creation of political parties
~ Party leadership challenges
~ Policy development/Parliamentary Inquiries
~ Election campaigns
~ Elections conducted totally online
~ Creation of school parliament complete with Speaker of the House, Government and Opposition, Clerk, Sergeant-at-Arms, etc.
~ Political journalism and the establishment of school's first newspaper
~ Exhibitions of parliamentary sessions, (e.g. Question Time)
~ Online quiz for the wider school community

The Details:

Download the Case Study
(145K PDF; three pages)

See for yourself...

Visit St. Joseph's High School Parliamentary Club