Developing a 'Democracy of the Mind' : lessons for Australian schools from IEA Civic Education Study

Civics education can no longer be a marginal subject in the school curriculum, as it was in Australia for most of the second half of the twentieth century. Democratic institutions are currently under threat from within as well as from outside democratic nation states. Future citizens need to be well prepared to both understand and defend democracy. This will require an approach to curriculum that includes important civic knowledge and values, and an approach to teaching that can engage students. This chapter has shown that, while Australian students and teachers have made some progress in these areas, much remains to be done if future citizens are to meet the challenges that lie ahead.