States reject PM's history plan
October 11, 2007 - 11:18AM
Source: ABC
The state and territory governments have roundly rejected a Federal Government plan to make the teaching of Australian history compulsory.
The Federal Government plans to tie the compulsory teaching of Australian history to all year nine and 10 students to the next education funding agreement with the states and territories.
Prime Minister John Howard will today release a guide to the teaching of the subject, and a copy is being sent to all state and territory leaders.
Education Minister Julie Bishop says the Federal Government wants the guide to be used to develop a compulsory curriculum for Australian history.
But state and territory leaders have rejected the plan.
Northern Territory Education Minister Paul Henderson says the Territory already has a good Australian history course.
"This sounds like a pre-election stunt from John Howard, and certainly I'm looking at outcomes from band one through to band five in front of me right now and it's pretty comprehensive, so we already do it," he said.
South Australian Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith says the Federal Government measures are part of a phoney culture war - and are about imposing an ideology.
"It's about threats, punishment and punitive management styles and frankly it's about time we got away from this and started being more effective in rewarding good teaching, and lifting standards in other ways rather than threatening and bullying and suggesting that funds will be confiscated," she said.
Western Australia's Education Minister Mark McGowan says there is no need for the Federal Government to threaten the states funding if they do not comply.
"We're already doing it, we're already making sure the study of history is an important part of the curriculum, we're making sure that Australian history is a component of modern history, a lot of these things are already being done," he said.
The ACT Education Minister Andrew Barr says the Prime Minister should not be dictating what history is taught in schools.
"To suggest that, as the Prime Minister has, that the states and territories do not adopt the Prime Minister's guide to the teaching of Australian History that funding will be cut, I think people need to reflect on exactly what's at play there," he said.
"That's a significant level of political interference on what's being taught in our schools."
New South Wales Education Minister John Della Bosca says the announcement is laughable.
"It's laughable because the New South Wales Government has made Australian history compulsory many years ago, we are the only state with this rigorous curriculum - Mr Howard's own state - it just shows how out of touch he really is," he said.
"John Howard goes on about Simpson and his donkey - well he is holding this announcement today at a school during school holidays, so that means I think that John Howard has more in common with the donkey than John Kirkpatrick Simpson."
Also, History Teachers' Association of Australia national president, Paul Kiem, says the lack of consultation with teachers could backfire.
"The danger has always been that a small group would draw up a list of content and impose it on schools," he said.
"A list of content is not a fully developed curriculum. It has the potential to be a great thing for the teaching of Australian history and the standing of Australian history in schools.
"It also has the potential to have a negative impact if it turns out to be difficult to implement."
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Another step in killing off the Australia culture by dismissing the history of the nation 
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