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> Projects 2001 citizenship conventions for schools UNITY AND DIVERSITY: LIVING IN AUSTRALIA A special series of schools citizenship conventions was held in 2001 as a contribution to Centenary of Federation celebrations. Convention for primary schools
On 27 August, 97 primary students and more than 30 accompanying teachers and parents from 11 Sydney and four country schools met in the Legislative Assembly of the NSW Parliament to discuss 'Unity and Diversity: Living in Australia'. This was the third Henry Parkes Citizenship Convention for Primary Schools. The first in 1999 had considered the issue of Australia as a Republic, and the second in 2000 had explored Reconciliation. Primary Schools from the three systems -- public, Catholic and independent -- in Henry Parkes' old Sydney electorates had been invited to participate in these events. Until this year financial constraints had limited invitations to schools from the Sydney area. However, in this Federation Centenary year, thanks to the generosity of the Foundation for Young Australians, we were able to include country schools from the three Federation towns, Corowa, Bathurst and Tenterfield. Faulconbridge Public School from the much loved mountain home of Henry Parkes was also invited, since one of the Corowa schools had to cancel. Schools attending
were: Contact the Henry Parkes Foundation for a printed report of the schools' presentations. Secondary schools convention
The Henry Parkes Secondary Schools Citizenship Convention was part of Centenary of Federation celebrations in the NSW town of Tenterfield, and was held in conjunction with Tenterfield Shire Council on the morning of the 24 October. It took place in the splendidly refurbished Banquet Hall of the Tenterfield School of Arts, where Henry Parkes had delivered his famous 'Tenterfield speech' in 1889. This convention focused on the same theme as the primary schools convention on 27 August in Sydney: 'Unity and Diversity: Living in Australia'. Students from years 10 and 11 in the Federation Towns of Corowa, Bathurst (Kelso High) and Tenterfield participated. Their presentations were excellent, demonstrating thoughtful and generous approaches to the subject, and appreciation of the value of tolerance and understanding towards other attitudes and cultures in Australian society. The students' technical skills in the creation of computer-generated illustrations with which they accompanied their speeches were also impressive. The students of Tenterfield High and teacher Ms Gabriel Leis-Macnish provided wonderful hospitality, enthusiastic organisation and hard work. Many thanks also to Mr Jim Browning and his students from Kelso and Mr David Nancarrow and his students from Corowa, who travelled long distances and contributed so effectively to the events of the morning. Again, contact the Henry Parkes Foundation for a printed report. We gratefully acknowledge funding support from the Foundation for Young Australians for these conventions, and the continuing cooperation of Ms Mary Gray, Manager, NSW COFC History Education and Civics Program, and Mr Graham Spindler, Manager Parliamentary Education and Community Relations Unit, for all our school projects.
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