20 July 2007 

“Parliamentary Club growing nationally as new schools join” 

Large numbers of both private and public schools, primary and secondary are now joining CEFA’s civics initiative from across Australia.  New South Wales schools are being joined this month by their Victorian, Queensland and Canberra counterparts, in initiating the most outstanding civics education project in the history of Australian schools’.

Secondary Schools in New South Wales currently participating in ‘The Parliamentary Club’ are Calrossy Girls School in Tamworth, Corpus Christi College in Oak Flats, Delroy College in Dubbo, Gilroy College in Castle Hill, Mount Carmel School in Varroville, St Joseph’s High School in Albion Park and St Mary’s College in Wollongong.

Secondary Schools now participating from elsewhere in Australia include Grace Lutheran College in Rothwell, Queensland, Canberra Grammar School in the Australian Capital Territory, and St Leonard’s College in Brighton, Victoria.  

Primary Schools currently participating in New South Wales are the Nazareth Primary School in Shellharbour, Lindfield Public School in Lindfield, The Illawarra Grammar School in Wollongong, Ryde Public School in Ryde, All Saints Grammar in Lakemba, Al Zahra College in Arncliffe, Mowbray Public School in Lane Cove, Abbotsleigh College in Wahroonga, Holy Cross Primary School in Helensburgh and St Spyridon College in Kingsford. 

News of this dynamic whole-of-school civics activity is making its way around Australia via The Constitution Education Fund Australia’s website, Teacher Association state conferences, civics forums and media coverage. Collaboration is growing between key stakeholders such as the Australian Electoral Commission and the Parliamentary Education Office as they begin to recognise the value ‘The Parliamentary Club’ has in educating young Australians about our democracy.

It is becoming widely recognised that CEFA has the capacity to combine many of the civics resources available to deliver the most diverse and multi-faceted civics education activities that schools will ever experience. Success stories are now emerging from schools that have implemented the co-curricula civics activity, as student parliaments begin to tackle the issues that concern them and learn about the democratic process along the way. 

The initiative, designed originally as a civics education tool, has now also become a student leadership model that is engaging students and empowering them to take responsibility for their schools and also the wider community.  

Executive Director of CEFA Mrs Kerry Jones stated today that she is delighted that this practical civics initiative is taking off. Schools from Western Australia will be starting their parliamentary clubs over the next three months. 

By the beginning of 2008 CEFA hopes to offer this example of practical civics to all Australian schools. If you are interested in becoming a part of Australian civics education history, contact The Director of CEFA’s Parliamentary Club national initiative, Mr. Don Perna, at or telephone 0404 488 245.