19 September 2007
Informing debate about race issues in Australia
Newly updated educational materials for secondary school students will add informed debate to classrooms and living rooms around Australia with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission’s (HREOC) recently-released Face the Facts resource.
First released as a general publication in 1997 at a time of heated debate over race issues in Australia, Face the Facts was adapted into an educational tool in 2005 and has now been updated in an easier format for teachers to use, National Race Discrimination Commissioner Tom Calma said.
“Debate over race issues in Australia has broadened significantly since HREOC first produced the Face the Facts publication,” Mr Calma said.
“Events such as the furore over refugees, anti-Arab and anti-Muslim prejudice and more recently the Australian Government’s Northern Territory ‘emergency response’ measures have added a new dimension to this debate.
“There is now even more need for clear information that addresses the prevailing myths about refugees, migrants and Indigenous peoples and Face the Facts does just that by uncovering myths and stereotypes on issues that are frequently misrepresented.
“This newly updated educational resource is essential for exploring these issues in the classroom,” Mr Calma said.
Face the Facts is designed to complement the material in the Face the Facts publication and is part of HREOC’s human rights education program.
Mr Calma said the updated material was linked to the secondary school curriculum in each state and territory and is downloadable in word and PDF worksheets.
Additional material will be added to the educational resource next year when the most recent statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics become available.
Face the Facts can be found at www.humanrights.gov.au/education/face_facts/index.html
Media contact: Louise McDermott (02) 9284 9851 or 0419 258 597
