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Getting Smart

Essay: Flying the flag for mainstream Australia Author: Anna Clark

n June 2004, the Prime undertaken, their importance was Minister, John Howard, and obvious: they would educate the I the Federal Minister for nation, there would be reporting Education, Brendan Nelson, measures to ensure schools were announced a new $31 billion being held accountable, and they federal education package in which were intrinsic to "Australia's funding would be tied to a future". The initiative was National Values Framework. The designed to support greater increased government support national consistency in schooling, would be contingent on the such as a standard school starting implementation of several policy age and the promotion of educa­ initiatives "that will underpin the tional standards. "Better reporting Australian Government's national to parents", "transparency of priorities, shaping our schools over school performance", and "making the next decade". These values a core part of schooling" requirements included two hours framed the policy. Moreover, of compulsory exercise for students "every school must have a func­ every week, adoption of a national tioning flagpole, fly the Australian safe-schools framework and flag and display the values frame­ installation of a "functioning work in a prominent place in the flagpole" to fly the Australian flag. school, as a condition of funding". "This is a major investment in The "core values" and "flag­ Australia's future," their joint poles" push came five months after media release promised. "It will the Prime Minister had criticised leave us better equipped to face the Australian- state schools for being global future and help us build on "too politically correct and too our long traditions of innovation values-neutral". He claimed that and technical excellence." students were leaving the public­ While it was not made clear school system because it failed to exactly how the teaching and learn­ promote "mainstream" Australian ing of these values might be values. The acting Minister for Edu-

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Copyright of Full Text rests with the original copyright owner and, except as-permitted under the Copyright Act 196~, copying this copyri~ht material is pr?hibited without the permission o~;~~~~~e(~ or) its exclusive licensee or agent or by way of a licence from Copyright Agency Limited. For information about such licences contact Copyright Agency limited on (02) 93947600 (ph) or (02) ax Flying the flag for mainstream Australia cation, Peter McGauran, explained Polly Price wrote to The Sydney the Government's position: "There Morning Herald and suggested that is a growing trend that is dis­ . the Prime Minister "make the over­ cernible to parents that too many weight kids shin up the flagpole government schools are either daily. That should do it." Fiona value-free or are hostile or apathetic Buchanan was more critical in The to Australian heritage and values," Age: "John Howard, education he said. "Parents, a great many of should not have conditions. It is them, are worried by a trend within essential, with or without a func­ some government schools away tioning flagpole." A number of from the values that they want politicians also wondered how imparted to their children." Australian values would be Many Australians supported advanced by flying the nation's the Government's public commit­ flag in schools. NSW Labor ment. On the ABC online forum, Premier, Bob Carr, suggested that "husky65" maintained that the the Federal Government would move would encourage Australian foster more patriotism by funding a patriotism. "1 don't see a problem "core library" in every school of with giving proud Australian kids history, geography and culture "than buying a flagpole". Mean­ a chance to express that pride. I can while, in Canberra, the Capital see why a bitter, leftist teachers' Territory's Minister for Education, union would be opposed to such a Katy Gallagher, and then Democ­ basic idea though." Another, rats senator, Aden Ridgeway, "proud2baussie", agreed the initia­ claimed that regulations on flying tive was a positive one: "To the national flag would prevent dismiss this great idea is moronic. I schools flying the Aboriginal and totally support the concept and am Torres Strait Islander flags to proud to be Australian and show promote reconciliation. A our symbols with pride." Robert spokesperson for Brendan Nelson Buick wrote to The Gold Coast Bul­ said that, while the Common­ letin and complained, "Some wealth would contribute $1,500 for Australians object to the flying of each school to receive a single the nation's flag within govern­ flagpole, multiple flagpoles would ment precincts including schools. have to be paid for by the school. To them I say this, 'What's your The significance of this debate is heritage and why live here if you not in determining the worth of the don't support our national Australian flag, or even the legiti­ emblem?' All nations fly their flag macy of Australian values per se, but proudly and so should we." the ways in which these national Others were far from convinced. symbols have been co-opted into a

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Anna Clark

divisive and politicised contest over Australia". It also became an astute Australia's identity. This alignment conservative slogan that played off of educational values with the social anxieties for political gain; as values of the nation itself is the Noel Pearson contended, it implied latest outbreak of the so-called an Australia "for all of us (but not "history wars" - a dispute over them)". Australian heritage and identity that The political effort to reclaim has been played out over history Australia's story on behalf of the books and syllabuses, national com­ "mainstream" has been particu­ memorations and public institutions larly critical in schools - a vital site around the country. And it is contin­ for defining and reproducing the gent on a troubling paradox: the national narrative. As a guest on rhetoric of national unity and peda­ the program of the talkback radio gogical standards that has host John Laws soon after his characterised the development of government's election, Howard the values framework implicitly denounced history curricula that capitalises on perceived divisions in presented students with an appar­ Australian society (us/them, Aus­ ently biased version of their past. tralian/unAustralian, and so forth). A number of syllabuses used The nationalisation of teaching so­ "invasion" to describe the coloni­ called "values" is a potent political sation of Australia by Europeans, manoeuvre, but one that rests on a and had begun to include informa­ construction of unified national tion about the "stolen generations" identity premised on division. - the term used to describe the forcible removal of thousands of he language that shaped the Aboriginal children from their development of the values families by governments and framework has characterised the agencies from the late nineteenth discourse of the Coalition since it century until the second half of the campaigned for the federal election twentieth century. "To tell children in 1996. Then, John Howard loudly whose parents were not part of opposed what he felt had been a that treatment," he contended, left-wing domination of Australia's "to tell children who themselves story under the Labor government have been no part of it, that we're of Paul Keating and, instead, all part of it, that we're part of a promised to govern for "all of us". sort of racist and bigoted history, Like the values framework, is something that Australians Howard's "all of us" invoked a reject." The word "invasion", he shared Australian identity, and it maintained, should never have was used alongside similarly vague been in the syllabus in the first collectives, such as "mainstream place.

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Three years later, Howard reit­ reveals a cogent effort on its part to erated his belief that children define, and then appease, "main­ should not be made to feel guilty stream Australia" over a range of about Australia's colonial past. He potentially divisive and contested said it was wrong to impose a images. "politically correct version of history" on children and make he conjecture over the values them say sorry in class for past T framework and installation of wrongs. Young pupils would not functioning flagpoles in schools understand what they were doing, reanimated the wider anxiety over Howard said, and should not apol­ the history wars. Government calls ogise for the actions of previous to strengthen the teaching of generations. "I have a rather old­ Australian heritage and values fashioned, but I think valid, view, were represented in the media over many months and became a heated that you apologise for things for public issue. To be sure, the which you are responsible," he contested connections between said. Howard's historical approach national identity and education are needs to be examined here, for he certainly telling: the argument for effectively sanctions a particular defining core values sees version of Australia's past at the Australian identity being forged expense of any contrasting narra­ through its history; "our children", tives. Such a view holds that meanwhile, are a powerful symbol Australia's history is "our history". of its future. Meanwhile "their" history, to rein­ But what happens when "our voke Pearson, is dismissed as citizens of tomorrow" are barely marginal and extreme. aware of their rights and responsi­ It is not enough to simply bilities as Australians? Anxiety dismiss the development of the over teaching Australian heritage values framework as conservative and identity has been bolstered by polemic. As much of the response concern that children do not know revealed, the development and enough about their national history implementation of national values or political institutions. In the lead­ for schools generated considerable up to the Centenary of Federation public support. The desire to teach in 2001, various surveys revealed a cohesive narrative and identity in that more Australians knew the schools is a deeply held conviction presidents of the United States than for many Australians. Neverthe­ Australia's own leaders. Only less, the government strategy to 36 per cent of respondents could capitalise on such anxieties and identify Edmund Barton as an national desires is significant, and it Australian politician and fewer

110 Griffith REVIEW Anna Clark than 45 per cent could respond Furthermore, Nelson designed a when asked what Federation poster of the values"and over the meant. In the context of such top of it", he said, "I've apparently grave national illiteracy, superimposed Simpson and his the Government's push to prescribe donkey as an example of what's at Australia's values became even the heart of our national sense of more critical. emerging identity". The story of Yet moves to teach these values the unarmed digger and his deemed beyond dispute continued donkey rescuing wounded soldiers to be dogged by just that. When at Gallipoli was the stuff of legend, McGauran warned against the "jet­ "and he represents everything tisoning of traditional values and that's at the heart of what it means the heritage of Australia", he noted to be an Australian". that a school in Western Australia According to Nelson, essential had cancelled its Anzac Day cele­ Australian values emerged not just brations. And he added that some from its history but its myths, and schools in Victoria and NSW had if schools were not persuaded by banned nativity plays because few the likes of Simpson (or his of the children in those schools donkey), they should reconsider came from Christian backgrounds. their place in Australian society. "If Despite the sentiment of national you want to be in Australia, if you coherence, then, discussion sur­ want to raise your children in Aus­ rounding the values framework tralia, we fully expect those revealed how contested expres­ children to be taught and to accept sions of national identity and Australian values and beliefs," history really are. The controversy Nelson maintained. "We want surrounding the framework belied them to understand our history its rhetoric of national co-operation, and our culture, the extent to accountability and values. which we believe in mateship and ollowing the London terrorist giving another person a hand up F bombings in 2005, Brendan and a fair go. Basically, if people Nelson relaunched the National don't want to be Australians and Framework for Values Education in they don't want to live by Aus­ Australian Schools, and set out the tralian values and understand nine values for Australian students: them, well, basically, they can clear care and compassion; doing your off." best; fair go; freedom; honesty and As we have seen in debates trustworthiness; integrity; respect; over the history wars, the official responsibility; and understanding, desire to define Australia's identity tolerance and inclusion. is nothing new - and the co-option

Griffith REVIEW 111 Flying the flag for mainstream Australia of national myths such as approach, and insisted that they Simpson's to supplement"Aus­ already taught Australian values to tralia's story" are surely part of that their students. Silrna Ihram, the official construction of national principal of the Noor Al Houda character. What stands out in the Islamic College in Sydney, said that values framework is the way the "every community has to prove Government tied education their value to Australian society funding to its implementation; and, and our students are doing that". further, the way it used a rhetoric In other words, it is not the teach­ of national cohesion and educa­ ing of values to Australian children tional accountability to justify the that is intrinsically problematic but prescription of national values in how these values have been used schools. Values such as compassion politically to bolster an interpreta­ and integrity are laudable. Even the tion of Australian identity that is at ideals of mateship and heroism in once universal and exclusive. the Simpson story have important "We want them to understand lessons. The limitations of the our history and our culture," framework are contained in the dis­ Nelson demanded. But who are course that sustains it - in "we", and what is "ours"? This particular, the insistence on an Aus­ insistence on Simpson and a func­ tralian identity that is unique and tioning flag pole as proud innate. The development of the expressions of Australian identity values revealed an explicit appeal revealed just how restricted the to national unity in the face of values framework had become. mounting tension over Australian Indeed, the heated response to this identity. debate generated illuminates its Ultimately, the push to define real tension: namely, the unifying Australian values and prescribe impulse to teach national history, them in schools was far from con­ narrative and identity, and the sensual. Muslim schools furiously explicitly contested nature of such defended their existing curriculum ideas. _

This essay has been peer reviewed. Footnotes and references at www.griffith.edu.au/griffithreview Anna Clark is the author of Teaching the Nation: politics and pedagogy in Australian history, which will be published by Melbourne University Press in 2006.

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