Citizenship's crucible: too cool for comfort

Source: DEEWR

Who is responsible for developing the civic capacities and political knowledge of our young people? Most people would probably consider it the responsibility of schools to impart relevant citizenship skills and dispositions. Certainly the development of active and informed citizens is a core element of the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. The Declaration was adopted in 2008 by all state, territory and Commonwealth education ministers meeting as the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs. The Declaration provides the framework within which education authorities and schools construct their policies, programs and curricula.

Social inclusion - what is it good for?

Image source: Australian Government

In recent weeks, social inclusion has become a topic of some debate. This follows reports that, subsequent to his appointment to the social inclusion portfolio in last year’s front-bench reshuffle, Mark Butler was unable to define what social inclusion means.

In response to an article on social inclusion by Butler published late last year, Senator Mitch Fifield and former Keating Government Minister Gary Johns both criticised the term as being devoid of substance. Fifield went on to propose that the Social Inclusion Board should be abolished, with the $3 million annual cost of the Board being allocated towards the $6.5 billion annual cost of a disability insurance scheme.

The above comments beg the question: What is meant by the term social inclusion, and is it as inconsequential in policy making terms as Fifield and Johns suggest?