Summary+of+Article+-+The+House+is+now+in+session

=Summary of the Article "The House is now in session".=

Starting a Parliamentary Club at your school...
This article states that in the new National Curriculum Civics and Citizenship is one of the key cross-disciplinary learning areas and has been given the highest educational status alongside literacy, numeracy and science & technology. It suggest that if school want to ensure that Civics and Citizenship is one of the key cross-curriculum learning areas then it should be a **whole-of-school-initiative**. One way to do this is to instigate a **Parliamentary Club.**


 * Aim of Parliamentary Club:** to create a mirror image of the Australian system of government that immerses students in a continual learning exercise through many cross-curriculum activities that engage the whole school community. Students understanding of the governmental process will develop within this highly practical learning experience. To engage as much of the students community as possible and give as many students as possible the opportunity to understand the role of a democratically elected executive government in pursuit of a common good. Student's own the learning and achieve a **deeper learning** than may occur within the classroom.


 * What is a Parliamentary Club?** A mini-democracy consisting of a student government complete with a House of Representative, Senate, Prime Minister, cabinet, opposition and political journalists.


 * Strategies for implementing a Parliamentary Club:**
 * An extracurricular club involving interested students and coordinated by an assisting teacher.
 * As part of the curriculum where a class or classes develop the Parliamentary Club and then introduce it across the entire school community.


 * How to start a Parliamentary Club:**
 * 1) **Initiate excitement about the idea**: Identify issues that are of real interest to students. Create portfolios that will be of interest to the students. Create interest by asking who will want to be the school's first Prime Minister, who would like to be the Minister of Sport, Arts, Social Services (such as the canteen) etc?
 * 2) **Form political parties:** Teachers can guide the formation of a two-party system. However, they should not make students feel constrained. A two-party system can emerge when they form coalitions with the minor parties and independents
 * 3) **The Election Campaign:** A whole-of-school activity. The leaders of the major parties launch their election campaigns, prepare and announce their policies, deliver speeches, media releases, graphics, banners and campaign advertisements etc. It is best to limit the election process to the __House of Representatives__ and use the school existing students representative council as the Senate.
 * 4) **Voting:** it is best to allow student to vote for a whole week to extend the learning period and build to a fever pitch. Create a __website__ and update the current vote count each night.
 * 5) **After the Election:** Winning Party or Coalition finalise ministerial portfolios. The new Prime Minister can announce his/her cabinet in the school newsletter and at assembly. Then the PM and leader of the opposition prepare the first sitting of parliament - decide what issues will be discussed, what legislation is to be introduced and the order of business. **Non-elected students** are essential to the working of the Parliamentary Club - they are the parliamentary officers, journalist, security, intelligence offers and ministerial staffers.
 * 6) **Establish parliamentary committees of inquiry:** These should be formed out of non-elected students before considering new legislation or policy. Students can make submissions as experts in the field. Parliamentary committees (like ministerial portfolios) typically address Arts and Culture, Sport, Education, Environment and Social Services. Issues may include canteen offerings or lines or cyber-bulling etc. Students will need to research the correct format for __writing bills__ and introducing them into parliament.
 * 7) **Parliament sitting:** Start by using **scripts of parliament** to familiarise the students with the process (scripts can be found at the Parliamentary Education Office website). Once the students know the process they won't need the scripts anymore. The coordinating teacher may start as the __Speaker of the House__ to illustrate the importance of this job, then pass it on to a student. Government of the day decide who to appoint the school's __Governor-General__ (perhaps principal or teacher). Decide how many parliamentary sittings there will be each term (perhaps 3 will be achievable).
 * 8) **Referendums:** Encourage parliamentary members and committees to identify issues which are relevant to the school and can be the subject of a referendum. Use newsletters and assemblies to address the school community and instruct them on how to vote and the consequences of their vote. Instigate new school policy.