From the Sydney Morning Herald:
“… opposition education spokesman Christopher Pyne appeared to re-open the so-called ”history wars” which raged during the Howard years, by attacking the school curriculum for putting Aboriginal and multicultural commemoration days on the same level as Anzac Day. The national curriculum would be reviewed under a Coalition government, he said. ”The Coalition believes that, on balance, Australia’s history is a cause for celebration,” he said.
”It is because of our history that we are a confident and positive nation. We must not allow a confidence-sapping ‘black armband’ view of our history to take hold.
‘That history, while inclusive of indigenous history, must highlight the pivotal role of the political and legal institutions from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.”
In the new curriculum Anzac Day is studied in year 3 as one of a number of days of national significance. The Gallipoli campaign is studied in year 9.
Mr Pyne criticised the fact that Anzac Day is ”locked in with NAIDOC Week, Reconciliation Day and Harmony Day” in the national curriculum.”
Ok, the document below isn’t official, but it gives you a taste of what we’ll see under the Coalition.
Draft History Curriculum for Christopher Pyne.
Year 3
Term 1: The foolish foreigners who failed to discover Australia
Term 2: The great and brave British explorer Captain Cook discovers Australia
Term 3: The first Australians – convicts and soldiers.
Term 4: Early attempts to civilise the Aborigines by soldiers
Year 4
Term 1: Gallipoli – the ANZAC tradition is born
Term 2: The first soldier to fall
Term 3: Simpson
Term 4: His donkey
Year 5
Term 1: The retreat from Gallipoli
Term 2: The importance of Anzac biscuits
Term 3: How Australian soldiers gained the reputation of being the bravest ever
Term 4: Anzac Day is the holiest day of the year.
Year 6
Term 1: Our great British heritage
Term 2: Why the monarchy rules
Term 3: Learning to recite Kings and Queens of England
Term 4: Great people born in England apart from kings and queens and Tony Abbott
Year 7 – Australia’s Golden Years
Term 1: Howard’s election
Term 2: Howard restores belief in Anzac Day
Term 3: Howard saves Australia from invasion by republicans
Term 4: Howard increasing number of Anzac marchers by invading Afghanistan and Iraq
Year 8
Term 1: Howard creates mining boom
Term 2: Howard’s back to basics in indigenous affairs – let’s use soldiers again.
Term 3: Why the Magna Carta is just an example of the barons’ union bullying a king
Term 4: How ASIO protects us and why we should never question their actions
Year 9
Term 1: How the descendants of convicts formed the Labor Party
Term 2: Why Anzac Day is still important
Term 3: The Gold Rush – how Peter Costello quickly sold of our gold reserves
Term 4: Free Speech – Why we changed the name of Labour Day to honour Andrew Bolt
Year 10 – Other Wars of the 20th Century
Term 1: World War Two – how we stopped the boats
Term 2: Korea – how we stopped the spread of communism
Term 3: Vietnam – how the hippy student movement tried to destroy Anzac Day
Term 4: Culture Wars – how traitors tried to make us hate Australia and turn us into a republic.
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