 HOW IT WORKS
Students drive all activities associated with their Parliamentary Club including:  | Club promotion and membership recruiting | | Elections | | Parliament | | Parliamentary Inquiries | | Newspaper/Journalists | | Intelligence and Security | | All civics activities | | Formation of Committees | | Environmental projects/clubs |
Individual schools and their students tailor the Parliamentary Club initiative to suit their own unique needs with the aim of creating a bi-cameral system of student government. Specific civics projects are then driven by the student parliament in association with teacher based classroom and school activities, such as CEFA's Democracy in Schools and Elected Life. The Constitution Education Fund Australia will offer prizes and awards to schools and students who succeed in delivering pertinent and creative presentations.
Primary Pilot Programs 2005-2007
In 2005, 2006 and 2007 selected primary schools across Australia were trialled for CEFA civics education projects. Reports on these trials can be found in CEFA's newsletters and annual reports. Click Reports The whole-of-civics pilot programs implemented by CEFA teaches knowledge of the Australian constitution, its history and current operations. Students and teachers are provided with civics kits published by CEFA, based on “The Five Pillars of Australian Democracy”. In addition, the students participate in activities to stimulate their understanding of Australian democracy and our Constitution. These activites include specifically developed games, PowerPoint presentations and visual representations though artwork and role plays. Role play provides particularly valuable reinforcement of students' understanding of specific occasions and periods in Australian history as they relate to the workings of the Constitution at those historic times. CEFA considers that there are five critical pillars of Australian democracy equally important in their impact on the nation's history, evolution and daily workings of the Constitution. These pillars are: All schools participating in the CEFA Civics programs receive a variety of teaching resource materials and tools, which compliment the current programs that vary in Australia from state to state. CEFA recognises that there is national curriculum development support for the teaching of Australian history, values education and the Discovering Democracy programs. In addition, state curriculum includes social studies, Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE) and various other programs which cover the workings of Australian politics and process and participation in politics and law in Australia. A thorough knowledge of Australia’s complex federalism and parliamentary democracy can only be understood through a knowledge of the origins of the Australian constitution, an anatomy of the constitution, methods of constitutional change, the federal balance and the role of the courts, an understanding of the law and legislators, and understanding of pressure groups and public policy, an understanding of political parties, policy and legislation, an evaluation of parliament, an understanding of The Prime Minister and Cabinet, the electoral systems and democracy, and understanding of the justice and legal process and equity in the legal system.
Upper Primary (years 5-6) Civics Pilot programs 2007
Schools participating in Upper Primary pilot programs are given upgraded CEFA material kits with 10 units of work to be competed by classes prior to the Exhibition Awards day. For some students the program will culminate in a trip to Canberra, for others a local awards day will be organised. Teachers will be provided though funding from CEFA with a relief day to attend a CEFA Primary Schools Training Day. At this day teachers will receive resources and teaching kits. Schools will also be provided with appropriate awards at the completion of the pilot program. In addition, CEFA provides qualified teaching support staff as is required throughout the implementation of the project. CEFA is working closely in 2007 with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) to link common educational programs.
THE PARLIAMENTARY CLUB ~ TRAINING FOR SCHOOLS The Parliamentary Club implementation will be the basis for all CEFA school’s civics activities 2007/2008. The Parliamentary Club is a new initiative which provides an umbrella structure under which the CEFA civics units can be taught to provide a practical and exciting environment for student learning. There is a particular emphasis on schools to create student presentations reflecting a specific understanding of the Australian Constitution. The Parliamentary Club also connects with syllabus and curriculum materials. Phases of implementation for The Parliamentary Club, CEFA Primary Pilots 2007/2008 1) Formation of political parties
2) Nomination of candidates standing in election
3) Election and formation of parliament
4) Installation of bi-cameral system of student government (each school will determine)
5) Announcement of cabinet
6) Parliament begins its work as fully functioning system of student government
THE CONSTITUTION PROJECT The school’s Prime Minister (in consultation with the Governor-General) will appoint
three (3) ministers specifically for the CONSTITUTION project.  | Minister for Group Presentations | | Minister for Constitutional Quiz | | Minister for Constitution DVD Project |
The CONSTITUTION ~ [orgchart goes here]
The CONSTITUTION ~ Three suggested presentation formats
|  | Format 1: Group Presentation The minister will ensure that there are a variety of themes across the group presentations and will oversee that students share the input in each group. Groups will endeavour to present a role play which reflects detailed understanding of an aspect of our Constitution – The parliament, passage of bills, referendum, an event in Aust. History e.g The Dismissal etc. Prize: Best Group Presentation.
|  | Format 2: Constitutional Quiz This activity involves the presentation of a quiz show based entirely on students' understanding of the Australian Constitution. Prior to the final presentation of the quiz show (possibly in the style of an Australian quiz show “Sale of the Democracy” or “Who wants to be a Governor-General” or “Einstein Factor”) students will undertake a series of minor tests (possibly pen and paper), to identify those students willing and able to participate in the final ‘quiz show’. Where arrangements are in place, overall winners may continue on to Electorate Quiz during which all winners from each school come together to identify the most knowledgeable student among themv– ‘Champion of the Constitution’. Prize: Outstanding Student ~ Constitutional Quiz.
|  | Format 3: DVD Production “The Australian Constitution” The Minister responsible for this project will oversee production of a DVD that serves as a resource for current and future students involved in the student parliament. This activity will involve small or large group participation yielding a DVD that provides an overview of the Australian Constitution. The target audience will be upper primary school students. Students may use any format of delivery (music, drama, documentary, etc.) Prize: Best School Project (will be used as DVD resource for Australian school students). |
 PRIZES/AWARDS Individual school prizes:
1) a group prize – best presentation
2) an individual prize – winner of the Constitutional Quiz Overall electorate prizes:
1) most outstanding presentation – from all schools
2) most knowledgeable student – ‘Champion of the Constitution’
3) School responsible for the best Constitutional DVD resource (may be eligible for CEFA funding) Teaching Award:
Awarded to the teacher responsible for the most outstanding presentation from within the Electorate. |
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