Unity through Diversity
The Victorian Government’s vision for civics,
citizenship and multicultural education
Unity through Diversity
1
Published by the Department of Education and Training
Melbourne
March 2014
Updated April 2015
© State of Victoria (Department of Education and Training) 2015
The copyright in this document is owned by the State of Victoria (Department of Education and Training), or in the case of
some materials, by third parties (third party materials). No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance
with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968, the National Education Access Licence for Schools (NEALS) or with
permission.
An educational institution situated in Australia which is not conducted for profit, or a body responsible for
administering such as an institution, may copy and communicate the materials, other than third party
materials, for the educational purposes of the institution.
Authorised by the Department of Education and Training,
2 Treasury Place, East Melbourne, Victoria, 3002. Designed by DET Communications Design Studio
ISBN 978-0-7594-0760-2
Accessibility
If you would like to receive this publication in an accessible format, such as audio, please telephone 1800 809 834, or
email edline@vic.gov.au
This document is also available on the internet at www.education.vic.gov.au/unitydiversity
Unity through Diversity
2
The Victorian Government’s Vision
For all Victorian learning and development
settings to equip children and young people
with the knowledge and skills to participate in
and contribute to our multicultural society as
active and informed citizens - locally,
nationally and internationally.
Unity through Diversity
3
Context
Victoria’s future economic growth depends on our capacity
to undertake business internationally so we must invest in
creating a workforce with the language and cultural skills
that enable Victorians to compete, innovate and succeed
in the global marketplace. More than any previous
generation, young Victorians interact with the wider world
through technology, travel, study and work. We must equip
our young people with the skills they need to succeed in an
increasingly competitive and interconnected world.
Citizenship and informed civic participation are the
cornerstones of our successful, cohesive and prosperous
multicultural society. We want our children and young
people to understand their roles, rights and responsibilities
as citizens, and to know how to contribute actively to civic
life in their local, state, national and global communities.
Our children and young people must be empowered to be
active citizens of their communities and our society.
Citizenship emphasises the shared values of all Australians,
regardless of background, and encourages their full
participation in society. The future of our productivity, our
diversity and our social cohesion depends on many things,
including ensuring our young people participate in highquality civics and citizenship education.
The way in which individuals understand and respond to
cultural diversity shapes both individual lives and broader
society, particularly given the increasingly global nature of
modern life. Young people benefit from developing their
intercultural understanding, and from understanding how –
particularly in Victoria – cultural, religious, racial and
linguistic diversity has helped to build a vibrant community
and a strong economy.
Civics and citizenship education, multicultural education
and intercultural understanding are key aspects of Victorian
and Australian education policies, curriculum frameworks
for schools and early childhood settings. They are part of
ensuring our children and young people are prepared for
the future.
Existing policies and frameworks position Victoria to deliver
excellence in both civics and citizenship education and
multicultural education and to contribute to the Victorian
Government’s commitment to make Victorian education
even better and ensure our performance matches the best
in the world
Our commitment to civics, citizenship and multicultural
education is consistent with the Melbourne Declaration on
Educational Goals for Young Australians1 which outlines to
undertake business internationally so we must invest in
creating a workforce with the language and cultural skills
that enable Victorians to compete, innovate and succeed
in a vision for education shared by all Australian states and
territories.
Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs
1 2008, Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young
Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth
Affairs 2008, Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young
Australians, Melbourne.
Australians, Melbourne.
Unity through Diversity
4
The Melbourne Declaration “values the central role of
education in building a democratic, equitable and just
society – a society that is prosperous, cohesive and
culturally diverse, and that values Australia’s Indigenous
cultures as a key part of the nation’s history, present and
future”. The educational goals include all young
Australians becoming active and informed citizens, who
act with integrity, appreciate and promote diversity,
understand Australia’s civic structures and national values,
and are responsible citizens.
The Melbourne Declaration guides the development of the
Australian curriculum. The Foundation to Year 10
Australian curriculum includes both the cross-curriculum
general capability Intercultural Understanding and the
learning area Civics and citizenship. Within the Civics and
Citizenship curriculum Citizenship, diversity and identity is
one of three focus areas in the Knowledge and
Understanding strand. AusVELS, the Victorian curriculum
framework for Foundation to Year 10 students, adapts and
incorporates the Australian Curriculum subject areas and
general capabilities to meet our priorities and ensure our
high standards are maintained.
AusVELS provides a structure for the development of
skills, knowledge and understanding in civics, citizenship
and multicultural education. However, our vision is one
where civics, citizenship and multicultural education are
embedded across the curriculum and beyond the walls of
the classroom. Civics, citizenship and multicultural
education are about, and for, all students. They must
permeate all aspects of curriculum, pedagogy, school
practices and policies.
The Victorian Government’s vision for civics, citizenship
and multicultural education is complemented by the
Government’s visions for languages education and English
as an additional language (EAL). Languages education
enhances student learning outcomes and facilitates
effective participation in Victoria’s multicultural, multilingual
and multi-faith society, along with the global community.
EAL education ensures EAL learners develop proficiency
in English and intercultural skills to allow them to engage
fully in their education, the workplace and community life.
To participate as active and informed local, national and
international citizens, our children and young people must
develop intercultural understanding, high-level English
language skills, and competency in more than one
language.
Unity through Diversity
5
Benefits
Our vision is that all learning and development
settings provide Victorian children and young people
with the knowledge and skills to contribute to our
multicultural society as active and informed citizens locally, nationally and internationally. Realising our
vision will benefit learners, their families, their
teachers and educators, schools and other education
settings, and their communities, as well as providing
broader economic and social benefits for Victoria.
There are many benefits when learning and
development settings acknowledge and value
learners’ experiences, and cultural and linguistic
skills. Learner engagement increases; respect,
resilience and self-worth are enhanced; and
responsibility, citizenship and social inclusion is
fostered.
Curriculum and pedagogy are both enriched by the
inclusion of a broader range of perspectives,
experiences and approaches. Learning can be
contextualised, either by bringing the content to within
learners’ experience, or by broadening learners’
experience beyond the early childhood setting,
classroom, school, home and family.
Civics, citizenship and multicultural education
provides opportunities for all learners’ views to be
listened to, respected and valued in inclusive learning
environments. Student representative councils and
student participation in school councils are examples
of learners exercising their voice to influence their
education.
Civics, citizenship and multicultural education
compels us to take responsibility for our actions, both
as individuals and as members of a multicultural,
multilingual and multi-faith community. It provides
individuals with a sense of belonging and shared
vision, and opens up opportunities for dialogue and
partnerships with the broader local community and
communities across the globe.
Unity through Diversity
6
Principles
The strategies we put in place to achieve our vision will
be guided by four key principles:
1. Participation and inclusion
Active citizenship and intercultural understanding are
promoted and developed through policies and practices
which promote equal rights and responsibilities; counter
racism and promote mutual respect; and develop
knowledge and understanding of cultural, linguistic and
religious differences. Access to technology is equitable
and enables participation with the broader community
locally, nationally and globally. All learners, regardless
of age, background or socio-economic status, are
actively engaged in learning and development and
community life, and develop the knowledge and skills to
contribute to the broader community.
Learning and development settings ensure inclusive
teaching and learning practices, recognise and value
the backgrounds of all children, young people and their
families; encourage participation in the life of their
community; and promote an open and understanding
attitude towards different cultures, religions and beliefs.
Additional Language, Languages and the general
capability Intercultural Understanding. The learning
extends to all areas of the curriculum and is evidenced
in all policies, practices and pedagogies of school and
early childhood settings.
4. Collaboration with the broader community
Families are the first and most important influence in a
child’s life, shaping the attitudes and values that will
support children and young people to maximise their
education, experience and capacity to contribute to
broader local and global communities.
Collaboration with learners, families, communities, local
government and business is essential to effective civics,
citizenship and multicultural education, and brings
mutual benefits, maximises learner engagement and
achievement, and builds more resilient communities.
2. Quality learning environments
Quality learning environments value civics, citizenship
and multicultural education and ensure children and
young people have the knowledge, understanding and
skills to participate in their local and global communities.
Learning and teaching acknowledges children and
young people’s cultural, religious and linguistic
background. Early childhood settings, schools and
higher education and skills settings recognise these
factors and use them to enhance the educational
experiences of learners and their families.
3. Diversity of educational approaches
Learning and development settings provide diverse and
flexible approaches to civics, citizenship and
multicultural education, which reflect the cultural,
religious and social make-up of their learners and
community.
Multicultural education and teaching and learning about
civics and citizenship extend beyond the documented
curricula for Civics and Citizenship, English as an
Unity through Diversity
7
Strengths
As well as including civics and citizenship and multicultural
perspectives across the curriculum, Victorian students,
teachers and schools create and participate in a wide
range of activities that align with our vision and principles.
A sample of these activities is included below.
Student Representative Councils
Students develop knowledge and understanding of
democratic processes in the classroom and through
participation in Student Representative Councils (SRCs).
SRCs provide students with the opportunity to actively
engage, participate, lead and learn. SRCs enable student
voices to be heard and students’ interests and concerns to
be addressed. SRCs exist in schools across all sectors
and regions of Victoria.
Victoria is building on a successful foundation of civics,
citizenship and multicultural education. Civics, citizenship
and multicultural education is supported by Government
policies in education, multicultural affairs and citizenship
that value and reflect Victoria’s dynamic, culturally diverse,
multilingual and multi-faith communities.
Victoria’s Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship policy
Victoria’s Advantage – Unity, Diversity, Opportunity
recognises that each Victorian plays a part in shaping the
future of our State. By valuing and embracing our diversity,
we can continue to realise the benefits of a cohesive and
multicultural society.
Victoria’s diverse community is reflected in our learning
and development settings. In 2013, 145,369 students in
government schools (26.2%) identified as coming from
language backgrounds other than English. Of these,
50,961 (35%) students were learning English as an
Additional Language (EAL). Not only is our diversity one of
our most valuable assets, it provides the opportunity for
our early childhood settings, schools, educators and
learners to develop the intercultural understanding and
skills required to participate in our multicultural community.
Victorian students have established their own democratic
network of SRCs - the VicSRC. The VicSRC is a studentrun organisation working to strengthen SRCs so that they
can speak and act on behalf of secondary students in
schools and throughout Victoria. The VicSRC is auspiced
by the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria (YACVic) and
receives funding from the Department of Education and
Training.
Student leadership and student voice in schools are also
encouraged through programs such as the VicSRC
developed student-led professional learning sessions
‘Teach the Teacher’, which bring students and teachers
together to discuss teaching and learning.
Student Conventions
The State Schools’ Constitutional Convention program
also supports students’ civic learning and participation.
Students participate in regional constitutional conventions
where they become familiar with key documents that
govern their lives, such as the Australian Constitution, and
debate current political issues. Students who attend
regional conventions have the opportunity to attend the
annual State Convention at Parliament House in
Melbourne and the annual National Convention in
Canberra.
Unity through Diversity
8
A State Junior School Council Congress is also conducted
each year, for senior primary school students. Students
conduct research in their schools around the Congress
topic, before coming together at Parliament House to listen
to speakers, present their ideas, develop and debate
motions or bills and vote on issues of contemporary
significance.
Through these civics and citizenship activities, students
engage with issues that impact on their lives as citizens in
multicultural Victoria and Australia, and as citizens of the
world. Questions such as ‘Is Australia a good global
citizen?’ or ‘Going global: the opportunities and challenges
of our online world’ allow students to explore ideas from
the individual context to the global.
The Constitutional Convention program is supported by
the Department of Education and Training, in conjunction
with the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria,
Independent Schools Victoria, Social Education Victoria
and the Victorian Parliament Education Office.
Sister school partnerships
Premier’s Spirit of ANZAC Prize
More than 300 Year 9 and 10 students from government,
Catholic and independent schools participate each year in
The Premier’s Spirit of ANZAC Prize. The Prize promotes
understanding of the service and sacrifices tendered by
veterans in war and peace. Students submit an entry that
explores the ANZAC spirit and Australian values, with
winning students participating in an overseas study tour of
sites where Australians have served in war, centred on
Gallipoli or the Western Front.
As schools increasingly incorporate global and
international perspectives within their curricula and
teaching practices, there is growing interest in developing
global partnerships. Sister school partnerships bring
significant benefits to students, teachers and school
communities.
Sister schools support the development of global
perspectives and intercultural competence. Schools in
Victoria have established strong networks and
partnerships with schools across the globe. More than 350
Victorian government schools have sister school
partnerships with schools in other countries including
China, Indonesia, France, Germany, Japan and the United
States.
Unity through Diversity
9
Many schools organise regular visits to their sister schools.
Students and teachers also engage with each other
outside the visits using technology. Students work together
on projects across the schools, speak in the language they
are learning and build relationships. These relationships
support international experiences and cultural exchanges
that foster international understanding. Teachers
collaborate on curriculum planning, pedagogical
approaches and observation of classroom practices to
share professional practice.
Anti-discrimination initiatives
The Department actively promotes diversity as an asset
and encourages schools to eliminate discriminatory
behaviour. Bully Stoppers, a series of tools and resources
that empower school communities to prevent all forms of
bullying, is one example. A specific section of Bully
Stoppers examines racial and minority groups that
experience bullying. Students, parents, teachers and
principals can access Bully Stoppers online learning
courses, fact sheets, lesson plans and vodcasts.
Schools can also access Courage to Care, an exhibition
and education program run by B’nai B’rith and supported
by the Department. Courage to Care examines issues of
prejudice, racism and resistance though the history of the
Holocaust. Students are encouraged to reflect on the
choices they make when confronted by situations involving
prejudice, whether that be racism or bullying behaviour.
Local school-based activities
Victorian schools are encouraged to develop activities and
initiatives that develop and strengthen relationships with,
and meet the needs, of their local communities. Schools
and students develop and implement programs that
encourage students to take active roles in determining and
contributing to the culture of their school and community.
Lyndhurst Secondary College students, for example,
formed a working group to address incidents of racial
conflict within their school community. The resulting
representative group, Multipride, runs lunchtime activities,
participates in leadership programs and has developed
partnerships with the Centre for Multicultural Youth and the
Casey City Council.
Schools across Victoria hold ceremonies to celebrate
cultural diversity and citizenship. School councils approve
the form of these ceremonies to ensure they are inclusive
of all students and consider the diversity of cultures and
beliefs in the school community. Ceremonies can include
singing the Australian National Anthem, acknowledging the
symbolic importance of the Australian National Flag and
other flags including the Australian Aboriginal Flag and
Torres Strait Islander Flag, and student recitals of a
declaration, such as the Australian Oath of Allegiance, or
an oath devised by the school council expressing ideals of
citizenship and celebrating cultural diversity.
Schools teach about and celebrate cultural diversity
through activities including units of study exploring
students’ cultural backgrounds; Harmony Day concerts;
community members talking about their lives in other
countries; and cultural activities such as art exhibitions and
musical events. The Victorian Multicultural Commission’s
Unity through Diversity
10
Community Grants Program provides grants for schools to
run events like these during Cultural Diversity Week.
The Victorian Multicultural Commission also awards the
Victorian Multicultural Awards for Excellence to individuals
and organisations that have supported cultural diversity
and promoted community harmony. One such example is
Yarra Primary School which has developed a whole school
cultural diversity program Unity Through Diversity which
includes multicultural and global perspectives across the
curriculum.
The program raises awareness of, and support for, the
needs of migrants and refugees and develops the
students’ sense of community. Students identify their own
cultural heritage and are encouraged to ask questions and
explore their beliefs. Students learn from visiting cultural
artists and an annual “Yollywood” production promotes
their newly developed talents to the wider community.
Early childhood development
The Victorian Early Years Learning and Development
Framework (VEYLDF) identifies five learning and
development outcomes for all Victorian children aged 0-8.
Two of these outcomes - ‘Children have a strong sense of
identity’ and ‘Children are connected with and contribute to
their world’ - link directly to the Civics and Citizenship area
of Victoria’s AusVELS curriculum.
The VEYLDF also provides guidance for early childhood
professionals through eight practice principles, supported
by practice guides and evidence papers. The eight
practice principles include ‘Equity and diversity’ which
recognises that children’s personal, family and cultural
histories shape their learning and development. This
principle also ensures that early childhood services are
places where professionals, children, families and
community members share aspirations, engage in learning
from and with each other, and experience a strong sense
of belonging and acceptance. Similarly the principle
‘Respectful relationships and responsive engagement’
provides support for early childhood professionals to
develop learning programs that acknowledge and build on
children’s culture, strengths and knowledge and
encourage children to understand, communicate and
interact across cultures.
Intercultural understanding
As understanding of the skills children and young people
need to function effectively in the 21st century has grown,
schools have focused on developing the intercultural
understanding of students. In 2011, the Department
conducted the Intercultural Understanding Field Trial in 26
schools in partnership with the University of Melbourne
and La Trobe University. The trial investigated the impact
of teaching and learning practice for intercultural
understanding on student outcomes.
Findings from the field trial revealed that intercultural
understanding was built by developing staff capability;
supporting positive interpersonal connections; and
promoting intercultural understanding across the school so
that it was not limited to specific subjects or ‘one-off’
curriculum units. These findings align with our vision and
inform our actions to realise our vision.
The Department is currently a partner in an Australian
Research Council project, Doing Diversity: Intercultural
understanding in primary and secondary schools. This
project aims to build understanding and appreciation of
Australia’s social, cultural, linguistic and religious diversity,
and the ability to relate to and communicate across
cultures. Doing Diversity complements and builds on the
research and findings of the Intercultural Understanding
Field Trial. The twelve Victorian schools involved in this 3
year study will become lighthouse schools for intercultural
understanding.
Unity through Diversity
11
Opportunities

there are authentic opportunities for young people to be
involved in decision-making at schools and other
education settings and in the community.
Quality learning environments
Civics, citizenship and multicultural education needs to
respond to constantly changing social dynamics and
circumstances. Diversity in Australia continues to evolve
as shown by the diversity of young peoples’ cultural and
social circles; intercultural and interreligious families;
globalisation and the associated increasing flow of ideas
through technologies and social media. Many learners
have culturally complex family backgrounds, and there is a
high degree of social mobility within our society. This
diversification positively challenges assumptions about
cultures, sub- cultures and cultural stereotyping.
We need to ensure that our programs and policies for
civics, citizenship and multicultural education keep pace
with local and global thinking, technological developments
and other changes young people in Victoria are
experiencing.

multicultural education is not an ‘optional extra’ and is
relevant to all learners

teachers and early childhood professionals have the
capacity and confidence to engage with cultural
diversity, address discriminatory behaviour and build
learners’ civics and citizenship skills

learning and development providers are helped to
identify best practice in civics, citizenship and
multicultural education, and use this knowledge to
promote and share that practice with other providers

tools are available and used by learning and
development providers to monitor progress towards
providing quality civics and citizenship and multicultural
education, to understand what they are doing well and
what needs to be improved.
Diversity of educational approaches

learners acquire the knowledge and skills they need to
understand and fully participate in our multicultural,
multilingual and multi-faith society, including an
appreciation of key cultural aspects of our history, such
as our indigenous history, migration stories and the
ANZAC tradition

learning and development settings acknowledge
learners’ and families’ cultural diversity to ensure that
all learners are engaged in learning

civics, citizenship and intercultural understanding are
embedded across the curriculum so that learners are
provided with diverse perspectives that prepare them to
participate in society.
Our vision, principles and actions provide the opportunity
to ensure:
Collaboration with the broader community
Participation and inclusion

families and learners understand that civics, citizenship
and multicultural education benefit children and young
people in their lives outside the classroom

innovative partnerships between learning and
development providers, researchers, learners, families,
communities, and businesses are supported.

learning and development settings model democratic
and inclusive principles

learning and development settings are supported to
identify and address racism, stereotyping,
discrimination and other forms of prejudice
Unity through Diversity
12
Actions we will take
We are committed to implementing a number of actions to
ensure we realise our vision – For all Victorian learning
and development settings to equip children and young
people with the knowledge and skills to participate in and
contribute to our multicultural society as active and
informed citizens - locally, nationally and internationally.
These actions will align with our four principles:
participation and inclusion; quality learning environments;
diversity of approaches; and collaboration with the broader
community. They will build on our strengths and harness
the opportunities so that educators, learners and learning
and development settings are supported to realise the
vision. We have established a dedicated unit in the
Department of Education and Training to provide this
support.
These actions will take a common sense approach and will
ensure that civics, citizenship and multicultural education
is embedded across the curriculum and beyond the walls
of the classroom.
citizenship and multicultural education

support the development of programs and resources to
promote multi-faith understanding

support the development of programs and resources to
foster intercultural understanding

expand the Languages and Multicultural Education
Resource Centre collection to include resources for
bilingual and multicultural programs in early childhood
settings, including playgroups supported by the
Department.
Diversity of educational approaches

continue to support sister school partnerships and
other initiatives that foster global citizenship

develop initiatives to support student volunteering in
local, national and international contexts and programs
that encourage civic participation through student
action teams

support schools to develop strategic whole school
approaches to civics, citizenship and multicultural
education

collect baseline data to provide an overview of the
civics, citizenship and intercultural capabilities of
Victorian school students. This data will include the
National Assessment Program – Civics and
Citizenship, which provides national sample data for
Year 6 and Year 10 students and was held for the
fourth time in 2013

analyse baseline data and further data collected over
time to determine how learners’ civics, citizenship and
intercultural understanding progresses.
Participation and inclusion

publish and promote guidelines to support schools and
early childhood settings to ensure their policies,
processes and practices are inclusive and respectful of
cultural, linguistic and religious diversity

continue to support the regional, state and national
Schools’ Constitutional Convention program, and other
student forums and conventions that encourage active
citizenship and global awareness, with a focus on
ensuring that these activities are accessible to all
students.
Quality learning environments

provide professional learning for leaders and educators
to explore their own intercultural understandings and
develop their capacities to interact and engage with
culturally diverse learners, families and communities

promote resources to assist educators in addressing
racist behaviour and promoting tolerance and
understanding

identify and publish case studies of learning and
development settings that have incorporated civics,
citizenship and multicultural perspectives along with
case studies of leading practice in student voice, civics,
Collaboration with the broader community

support partnerships between learning and
development settings, local governments and
community organisations which provide authentic
opportunities for students to participate in civics and
citizenship activities and contribute to decision making
at a community level

in partnership with the Australian Football League
develop a program to encourage students to reflect on,
and address, racism in sport, schools and our
communities.
Unity through Diversity
13
Unity through Diversity
14