1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,000 Speaker 1: Joining us on the line is the Minister for Education, 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:05,880 Speaker 1: Joe Hersey. Good morning to you, Joe. 3 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:08,600 Speaker 2: Good morning Katie, and good morning listeners. I hope you're 4 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 2: had a good break. 5 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: Welcome back, thank you, good to be back. And a 6 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:16,640 Speaker 1: big announcement this morning, of course, so the government restoring 7 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: national pride in Northern Territory government schools. Schools directed to 8 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: play and sing the national anthem. Joe, what's prompted this? 9 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, So this is just on the back of a 10 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 2: very strong Australia day and it's about consistency right across 11 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:35,880 Speaker 2: all schools. Some schools sing the national anthem, some schools don't. 12 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:40,519 Speaker 2: So it's about being consistent and getting some national pride 13 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 2: back in schools right across the territory and to sing 14 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 2: both verses of the national anthem. You know, there's a 15 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 2: lot to be proud about in this country and I 16 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 2: think standing up in assembly singing the national anthem loud 17 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 2: and proud is something that we should all be doing. 18 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: I'll admit. I asked both my kids this morning, do 19 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: you guys sing national anthem at school? They both said yep. 20 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: I said, what do you stand up to sing it? 21 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 2: Yep? 22 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 1: Did you sing it at primary school yep, So what like, 23 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: are some schools not doing it? 24 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:14,839 Speaker 2: So that's correct, Katie, and I've certainly asked around as well. 25 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 2: Some do, some don't, Some just sing the first verse, 26 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 2: some sing a different version of something that you know 27 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 2: that they think is there part of an anthem. So 28 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 2: what we've got now is there is a there's four 29 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:37,679 Speaker 2: different versions of the music where the national anthem can 30 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:42,040 Speaker 2: be sung sung too, and schools can choose, you know, 31 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 2: whether it's I know that schools in Catherine, for example, 32 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 2: they start off with a bit of a digery do 33 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 2: playing and then they go into the national anthem. Others 34 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 2: go you know, straight into you know, like almost like 35 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 2: a choir kind of feel to it. So it just 36 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 2: depends on what the school chooses. But it's about you know, 37 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 2: everyone being on the pardon the pun, but singing from 38 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 2: the song, same song sheet and loud and proud singing 39 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 2: their national anthem. 40 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: Minister tell me it's part of the policy students in 41 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: classrooms and now I'm going to have to learn about 42 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 1: national symbols such as the national anthem and what it 43 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:21,639 Speaker 1: means to the Australian identity through the civics and citizenship 44 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:25,360 Speaker 1: learning area of the Australian curriculum. I think it's a 45 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: good idea. But do you think we should also be 46 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: introducing a little bit more into the curriculum about our 47 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:32,600 Speaker 1: Aboriginal history. 48 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 2: I think it's our history, no matter where it comes from. Katie, 49 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 2: is very important and it is part of the national 50 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 2: curriculum and is about kids learning, you know, in that 51 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 2: Civics and Citizenship part of their national curriculum about learning, 52 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 2: you know what that's all about. I know up here 53 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 2: in the territory, schools have the opportunities to come and 54 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 2: visit Parliament House, whether we're sitting or not sitting. I 55 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 2: certainly open to school groups that have come through, and 56 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:05,360 Speaker 2: I think it's a great thing that kids learn about 57 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:09,399 Speaker 2: the parliamentary system, not necessarily one party or the other. 58 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 2: It's just about how the system works, how people get 59 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:15,360 Speaker 2: to be elected as local members. And you know, we 60 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:17,919 Speaker 2: live in a very small jurisdiction up here and we 61 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 2: have a lot to do with our schools and members 62 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 2: of the public as opposed to you know in the 63 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 2: biggest states and territories Minnesota. 64 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: I know you pressed for time, so I will let 65 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:29,359 Speaker 1: you go. Do you know the second verse to the 66 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 1: national anthem. 67 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 2: I most certainly do, Katie and one of the you 68 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 2: know they're there with courage. Let us all combine, And 69 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 2: to me, that says all of us with courage, you know, 70 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 2: let us all combine as Australi leaders, all combined as 71 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 2: a territory and have the courage to do what is 72 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 2: right for what we you know, think kids should learn, 73 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 2: you know, in this approach across the territory. And this 74 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 2: is what we've done as a government. And I'm very 75 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 2: proud to have you know, made that Scand well, look. 76 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 1: I'm hoping that someone rings in for me this morning, 77 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: Joe and sings this the second verse. I won't make 78 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 1: you do it as the minister. 79 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 2: Look, I thinking voice is absolutely not good, but I 80 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 2: can guarantee you that I once the music is playing, 81 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 2: I do not need the words in front of me 82 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 2: to sing that second verse. 83 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 1: Well, look, if people complain about my talking voice, they're 84 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: definitely going to complain about my singing voice. So I 85 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 1: won't sing it either. Joe Mercy, Minister for Education, Thanks 86 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: so much for your time this morning. Much appreciated. 87 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, and thanks listeners.