Educating for democracy: teaching 'Australian values'

The impetus for public education in Australia came from its commitment to democracy inspired by the British Idealists. If the people of a country are to be its governors, these philosophers argued, they must be educated to be governors. Taking this injunction seriously, I will argue that the history of the struggle for democracy should be central to education, taught in such a way that students are able to appreciate the commitment to democracy of Australia’s founding figures and to define themselves in relation to this vision as historical actors responsible for the future of Australia and the future of humanity.