What's the point? Political attitudes of Victorian year 11 students

Examines the civic and political attitudes of young Australians. The study uses as its basis a study by the internationally recognised American researcher Caroline Hahn, who spent ten years investigating the political attitudes of students in the United States, England, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. The author examines students' attitudes on classroom climate, political experience and interest, political trust, efficacy and confidence as well as equal political rights for women, free expression and civic rights. By using a modified Hahn questionnaire, the author is able to compare Victorian and overseas students. The picture that emerges of our students' political attitudes is quite negative and demonstrates curriculum deficiencies in our schools.