Woodend Primary School has a long history, since 2007, of visiting Canberra to undertake a program of learning and exploration, where students engage with the nation’s capital through educational tours, interactive exhibits, and visits to significant landmarks. This enriching experience helps students gain a deeper understanding of Australia’s history, government, and culture, making it a memorable and integral part of their educational journey.
It has been five years since Woodend Primary School made its way around our nation’s capital, and once again, the experience did not disappoint! During Week 10 of Term 2, 37 Year 6 students from Woodend flew to Canberra and undertook an experience of a lifetime, creating lifelong memories.
Term 2 saw all Year 6 students undertake a learning journey focusing on Australia’s history, culture, heritage, and democracy. This culminated in a wonderful opportunity to undertake an educational tour to learn firsthand about the building of our nation. During our trip, we visited many of the wonderful educational places that Canberra has to offer, such as the Australian War Memorial, where we were able to observe the memorials and stories of brave soldiers that made us appreciate the sacrifices that have been made so we can live in the free society we do today.
Parliament House was a highlight, where we sat in on a session of parliament and listened to our treasurer propose a bill to the House of Representatives. We were extremely lucky to meet and spend some time with our local representative, Amanda Rishworth, who is the Minister for Social Services, and we were also able to meet the South Australian Senator Kerrynne Liddle. We participated in a mock passing of a bill through the House of Representatives and saw the many portraits of our past Prime Ministers.
Old Parliament House, ‘The Museum of Australian Democracy,’ the National Art Gallery, The Australian Mint, The Australian Institute of Sport, Questacon, GeoScience Australia, Reconciliation Place, and the Australian Electoral Commission were just a few of the places that we visited in our four-day action-packed adventure.
Civics and Citizenship education is an important part of the Australian Curriculum, and we are lucky in Australia to have a government that will assist families in helping their students experience this opportunity. In 2024, the Australian Government is contributing funding of $90 per student (a total of $3,330) under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER) program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school to support and reduce the overall cost for families.
It was a rewarding and exhausting trip that we are sure will be remembered fondly by students for many years to come. A wonderful time was had by all, and the learning that took place was second to none!
In Term 3, we will be inviting registrations of interest for the 2025 Year 6 Canberra trip—stay tuned!
