To download this sub­mis­sion in PDF format, please click here.

The Executive Council of Aus­trali­an Jewry has lodged a sub­mis­sion with the Aus­trali­an Cur­riculum Assess­ment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) in response to ACARA’s Aus­trali­an Cur­riculum Review Con­sulta­tion.  The sub­mis­sion:

• high­lights the increase in the number and severity of incidents of racially and reli­giously based bullying and abuse at certain public schools involving Jewish students as young as five years of age.
• calls for students to be educated to recognise and challenge specific forms of prejudice and extremism from the beginning of school, with rein­force­ment at appro­pri­ate points in the cur­riculum to Year 10.
• calls for students to learn to self-reflect about their own pre­ju­dices, and on the destruct­ive effects of prejudice both in Australia and in other parts of the world, both his­tor­ic­ally and in con­tem­por­ary society.
• recom­mends that the Digital Literacy general cap­ab­il­ity address and challenge cyber bullying and online forms of racism, spe­cific­ally including antisemitism, and instil respect­ful practices online.
• makes specific recom­mend­a­tions along the above lines for inclusion in the cur­riculum.

The ECAJ grate­fully acknow­ledges the valuable input of educators and other stake­hold­ers with whom it consulted.  The full sub­mis­sion can be read here.