Lexi,
If what you say were correct about all the wonderfull resourses teachers now have available to them, then they and schools make little use of them. KIds know little of our history or geography.
They are not taught about the foundations of their state or their parliaments. They know little about our explorers or the start of our vast primary industries or of the gold rush days. Their knowledge of our writers and poets like Lawson and Patterson, is abysmal, let alone recite any of their works. Ask a kid about Dorothy MacKellar and to recite 'My Country". The significance of the stars on our flag.
Ask about Sir Henry Parkes or William Farrer? Also what is 'Armistice Day'? All basic primary school stuff.

Kids are simply not taught such things these days. No kid should leave primary school in NSW not knowing who crossed the Blue Mountains, its importance, and the year. They are filled with touchy, feely garbage instead of basic information about our country and our heritage.

Immigration played an important role in our history, especially since WW11 but that all changed about 1970 when multiculturalism was forced upon us. Vast amounts have been spent on MC in effort to make it work and has failed. We are now a nation of tribes, not one community as we should be. 'Unity in diversity' is the greatest lie in this country.

The sooner we are rid of MC the better and more unified we will be. We need to fight to retain our values, before they are all gone.

Dear Banjo,

All I can suggest to you is to go visit your nearest
school on an open day - and the school's library.
Speak to the staff about the subjects that are taught.
You may learn something. Also pay a visit to your MP
and get a copy of the booklet called, "Becoming an
Australian Citizen." There you will see the range of
subjects that are covered for the newcomers.
If still in doubt pay a visit to your local library
and talk to the Youth Services Librarian - express your
concerns about the subjects that you feel are not being
covered in our schools today. They will be glad to
provide you with the proof that you require.

As for multiculturalism - You're entitled to your negative
point of view.

I firmly
believe that Australia's cultural diversity is a
strength which makes for a dynamic society. Within a
framework of laws, all Australians have the right to
express their culture and beliefs.

I see Australia's
national identity in the 21st century, as a nation
at ease with the world and with itself.

Cheers.

Lexi,

....except if the world comes floating up to Christmas Island in flimsy fishing boats.

In that case, Australians become very "uneasy" with the world - and judging form the prevailing mindset expressed on OLO, would rather seal itself off from it.

Lexi,
I do have the booklet 'Becoming an Australian citizen' and had it since it came out. The citizenship test does not test for general knowledge, as the answers are all in the booklet. Its a matter of simply memorizing the booklet. I do not mind that as at least they have to read the booklet. I also like to think that my lobbying had a bit to do with prospective migrants now getting information about Aus, before they committed to immigrate. i.e. on applying for a visa.

I do not have to attend school open days, I speak to parents and the kids themselves about what they are taught about our history, etc.

Last night at a friends home, my hosts daughter, age 12, had two of her friends staying over and I took the opportunity to ask them a question or two. The girls are all in year 7. Question 1. Who first crossed the Blue Mountains. None knew. Q 2. Who is the NSW Governor.
Again none knew, one offered the GG as a possibility. I then asked if they were taught Australian history and the reply was, 'We were taught about japan last term'.

Might I suggest to you that you give some basic questions to kids in this age group and you will be surprized at how little they know of our country.

The point of this is that if we do not promote our own history, heritage and culture how can we expect immigrants to know about or value such things as Legacy and Armistice Day, that us oldies simply take as a given.

This situation has came about since the introduction of multiculturalism where the emphasis has been on every other culture except our own. I do not agree that MC has been an enriching experience, except in a very narrow sense, and has greatly contributed to a lack of community cohesion.

Sorry SOG you lost me at public indoctrination program.

Isn't that what many refugees were fleeing such as the Sth Vietnamese in Northern Vietnamese indoctrination camps (or re-training camps).

Correct me if I am wrong but what I think you meant was migrants and refugees need to know about citizen's obligations under the Law which serves to protect all Australians.

Banjo:>> Lexi, If what you say were correct about all the wonderfull resourses teachers now have available to them, then they and schools make little use of them. KIds know little of our history or geography.<<

Banjo I have loads of nurses and teachers in my family for some reason. For example two of my sisters are nurses, a brother is a teacher (a real brother I might add) my bride is a secondary teacher and one of my daughters will go into the secondary system after uni this year, not to mention cousins and in laws. Teachers and nurses are like cops, they socially enclave.

When I whinge about the dumbing down of our youth I have the baby boomer teachers agreeing and the gen X’s not. I argue that since the Wyndham Scheme politicized education, the “mean” has become the benchmark and excellence frowned upon, the politicized Board of Studies just wants everybody to pass. We have equipped our kids for the future if the Examination results from the Board of Studies are to be believed, a generation with the highest matriculation percentage in our history. But have a look at the number of students going on to do tertiary courses involving higher math, it is the lowest in fifty years. We produce social engineers day in day out but real engineer grads are thin on the ground.

The “excellence” that we previously nurtured went out the window when mathematics courses were changed to focus primarily on calculus, previouly geometry and trig encompassed 40% of higher math syllabus but was dropped to less than 5%. Banjo most teachers don’t what they are talking about, they parrot and rote without understanding the concepts. I surmise our Lexi is in the Education system, it was infiltrated by Fabians in the 1960’s at the same time the Fabians brought in Comprehensive education in Britain, which has also seen a demise of “home grown” students going on to do higher mathematics subjects.

“But you tell the youth of today that and they just don’t believe you” …..a line from Monty Python.