Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 518 standing in my name.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a)   acknowledges the concern of many members of the Australian public who have signed the National Sorry Day Committee petition calling for improvements to the new national history curriculum;

(b)   affirms the importance of properly acknowledging the past treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in our school curriculum;

(c)   recognises that, for the time, the history of forcible removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children is included as a mandated and distinct component of the new national curriculum in grade 10; and

(d)   requests that the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority:

  (i)   consider strengthening the cross curriculum priority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, to be taught where appropriate across all subjects of the national curriculum, and

  (ii)   gives consideration to the inclusion of National Sorry Day, past forcible removal policies and other relevant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander historical events in the national curriculum, in particular, in primary school years.

Question agreed to.