Just 38 per cent of year 10 students and 53 per cent of year 6 students achieved the proficient standard in the triennial national assessment program for civics and citizenship,run by the Australian Curriculum,Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) in 2019.
But while students'academic understanding of Australian democracy has slid significantly since 2010,survey results suggest they are more engaged with charity and have developed increasingly positive attitudes about both diversity and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
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ACARA chief executive David de Carvalho said he was most concerned by year 10 results,which have not improved since the last tests in 2016 and were considerably lower than in preceding years.
"It is disappointing that the results suggest our next generation isn’t demonstrating a sufficient level of understanding of the significance and history of our democracy and shared values,"Mr de Carvalho said.
"The students are not that far away from leaving school and facing the prospect of voting in their first elections. Having a good understanding of how our system of government works and the importance of political engagement[is central] to a functioning democracy."
The online test,which was sat by a representative sample of students across hundreds of schools,measured an understanding of Australia's government,rights and legal obligations,and national social values.