Civics education has long been crucial for teaching young people about democracy and citizenship, yet this subject is being bizarrely neglected in Australian schools, and the latest national civics results should give school leaders pause.
Just 43% of Year 6 students and 28% of Year 10s reached the proficient standard in 2024 – the weakest showing since testing began two decades ago.
While many students report confidence in Australia’s institutions, their trust drops sharply when it comes to media and social platforms, where much of their information is drawn. Participation in school-based civics activities has also declined, particularly in the senior years.
It’s a confronting picture at a time when democratic norms are under pressure globally.
Civics education ‘squeezed in crowded timetables’
Dr David Roy is a lecturer and researcher in Education and Creative Arts at the University of Newcastle. He says democracy cannot be taken for granted – yet many young Australians are leaving school with limited understanding of how it works or why it matters.
“Recent research from the Australian National University suggests democratic confidence among younger Australians is fragile,” Dr Roy told The Educator.
“Fewer than half of Australians aged 18–24 believe democracy is always the best form of government, with support significantly stronger among those who have completed Year 12 or higher education.”
Dr Roy said the findings highlight the critical role education plays in shaping democratic understanding.
“In schools, civics and citizenship education forms part of the national curriculum overseen by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Yet in many classrooms it remains squeezed into already crowded timetables,” he said.
“As a result, students often encounter democratic concepts sporadically rather than through sustained engagement with how institutions, rights, and responsibilities operate in everyday life.”
Dr Roy said democratic awareness is not simply about learning how voting systems work – it is also about whether young people feel their voices matter and that institutions are fair and responsive.
“Schools are one of the few places where this can be experienced directly. If democracy is to remain strong in Australia, education must play a central role in helping students understand—and practise—democratic participation.”
Why leadership matters in teaching democracy
Over the last year, there have been moves to boost young peoples’ understanding of democracy through the Federal Government’s launch of the Civics and Citizenship Education Hub and new curriculum work focusing on media and digital literacy as part of civics education.
Dr Roy said while these are welcome steps, these initiatives alone are unlikely to address the deeper challenges facing democracy education in Australian schools.
One of the central problems, he points out, is that civics and citizenship education still sits at the margins of schooling.
“Within the curriculum framework overseen by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, civics learning often competes with crowded timetables and accountability pressures,” Dr Roy said.
“Without dedicated time, sustained teacher support, and meaningful assessment, even well-intentioned initiatives risk remaining symbolic rather than transformative.”
Equally important, said Dr Roy, is the example being set beyond the classroom.
“Young people learn about democracy not only through curriculum but by observing how political leaders behave in public life,” he said. “When parliamentary debate is dominated by personal attacks, point-scoring, and performative conflict, it undermines the very democratic values schools are trying to teach.”
Dr Roy said democracy education won’t work if public life shows the opposite of respect, cooperation and responsible debate.
“If Australia is serious about strengthening democratic awareness among young people, governments must do more than launch resources,” he said.
“They must invest in sustained civics education and recognise that political leadership itself plays a powerful role in modelling what democratic participation should look like.”