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When I hear the term Separation of Powers the first thing that comes to mind is a cartoon from my childhood called Shazzan! It was usually on around the same time as He-Man and She-Ra Princess of Power. If you know what I’m talking about, welcome, fellow child of the 80’s! If you don’t know what I’m on about, I’ll give you a brief rundown. In a nutshell, this cartoon was about two teenagers called Chuck and Nancy who found two rings, with each ring having a half of a symbol. Chuck and Nancy travelled around an Arabian country on a flying camel called Kaboobie. Like all good cartoon characters, they would find themselves in trouble and face grave danger. But when they joined the separate halves of the magical rings and said, “Shazzan,” a magical genie called Shazzan would appear and save the day. It’s a classic and I remember playing superhero games. My sister and I would pretend to join rings to give us superhero powers and beat the evil villain (our cat Pinky).
Reality Intrudes
Unfortunately, the Separation of Powers outlined in the Australian Constitution is nowhere near as fun and exciting. Flying around parliament house on a camel and asking a magical genie for help isn’t on the agenda (although I bet they sometimes wish they could ask a genie to sort it all out). Despite being a fairly dry and potentially boring topic, it is an important aspect of Australia’s system of government. It is also a required topic in the Year 6 Australian Curriculum. It can be tricky to understand, so I will give you a brief explanation and some teaching points to save you from having to research it yourself. Because let’s face it, you have better things to do with your time! Shazzan! (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself)
The setup
The first three chapters of the Australian Constitution are dedicated to explaining the roles and responsibilities of the three arms of government – The Parliament, The Executive and The Judiciary. These three groups work together to govern Australia. They share the responsibility of making and implementing laws. The Separation of Powers makes sure that the government is always fair and accountable. Creating checks and balances on their use of power allows it to be challenged if necessary.
What do you mean balances?
If one arm of government has more power, then it would be impossible to make it accountable and to check its conduct. It could overrule the other two groups. The Constitution ensures that there’s not just one group running the whole show. Power is balanced between the three arms of government, and they must only use power as written in the Australian Constitution.
Who checks on whom?
Each of the three arms of Government checks on each other. The Constitution outlines systems and procedures which allow each arm of Government to review, evaluate and override the decisions made by the other two arms. Because each arm of Government knows it will be checked by the other two, it keeps them accountable and ensures that all decisions and actions they make follow the law. An important feature of Australia’s democratic system of government is the Rule of Law which ensures that we have a free, fair and democratic society. The separation of powers and the checks and balances they conduct are essential to maintaining the rule of law.
A pertinent analogy
It can be helpful to have an analogy, and while schools do not operate exactly like the government, there are similarities. Within your school you can split the staff into three levels:
- The teaching staff– Teachers are basically the Parliament within the school. They make new rules (laws) and make changes to existing rules – so long as they are inline with the school policies (the Constitution). They also ensure that the rules are followed or in legal speak – they ensure that the students ‘follow the law’.
- The Deputy/Assistant Principal– The deputy leaders act as the ‘Governor General’ and Executive and must approve the rules made by the teachers and manage how the rules are upheld. They are in charge of the teachers and also deal with additional issues that come up regarding social, financial and environmental issues. The deputy leaders can only use their power as set out by the school policies (Constitution).
- The Principal– The Principal is the Judiciary and may operate on his/her own or with the assistance of a school board or governing council. The Principal can review and interpret the rules made by the teachers, as well as decisions made by the deputy principals, and provide an avenue for decisions to be challenged if necessary. Principals in Australia do not have the freedom to do whatever they want. Like teachers and deputy leaders, they must also operate within the school policies and guidelines.
Within a school, there are checks and balances that occur through staff meeting discussion and the involvement of staff on governing councils. While the school Principal may be the ultimate leader, they work in conjunction with all the staff to run the school professionally and fairly, and within the policies and guidelines set by the school.
But how do I teach such a dry topic to my students AND keep them engaged?
Aussie Star Resources have a resource especially for this topic! Our Year 6 HASS Civics and Citizenship – The Constitution and Separation of Powers flip book is a fun resource. This six-page flip book explains what the constitution is and breaks down the roles and responsibilities of each arm of Government. Use the flip book in one lesson or break up the pages and slowly build the flip book as your class study each arm. The choice is yours! I know how busy you are, so we’ve prepared it all for you – just print and go! Two great sites for information and ideas are: www.peo.gov.au – this is the Parliamentary Education Office website and it’s a great place to find detailed explanations and further information. www.ruleoflaw.org.au – this site looks a bit heavy but there is an Education section that has some helpful resources.
Role play can be another great way for students to gain an understanding of tricky concepts. Set up your classroom as a mini-government and separate the students into the three arms of Parliament, Executive and Judiciary. Assign each arm the roles of creating new rules, administering new rules and reviewing challenges to these new rules. It could generate quite a bit of debate and discussion about the benefits and restrictions of such a system. I hope this has helped you to understand the Separation of Powers and its important role in upholding Australia’s democratic system of Government. While it’s not nearly as exciting as magical rings and a genie who saves the day, it doesn’t have to be a daunting or arduous topic to teach.
Reality Intrudes
Unfortunately, the Separation of Powers outlined in the Australian Constitution is nowhere near as fun and exciting. Flying around parliament house on a camel and asking a magical genie for help isn’t on the agenda (although I bet they sometimes wish they could ask a genie to sort it all out). Despite being a fairly dry and potentially boring topic, it is an important aspect of Australia’s system of government. It is also a required topic in the Year 6 Australian Curriculum. It can be tricky to understand, so I will give you a brief explanation and some teaching points to save you from having to research it yourself. Because let’s face it, you have better things to do with your time! Shazzan! (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself)The setup
The first three chapters of the Australian Constitution are dedicated to explaining the roles and responsibilities of the three arms of government – The Parliament, The Executive and The Judiciary. These three groups work together to govern Australia. They share the responsibility of making and implementing laws. The Separation of Powers makes sure that the government is always fair and accountable. Creating checks and balances on their use of power allows it to be challenged if necessary.What do you mean balances?
If one arm of government has more power, then it would be impossible to make it accountable and to check its conduct. It could overrule the other two groups. The Constitution ensures that there’s not just one group running the whole show. Power is balanced between the three arms of government, and they must only use power as written in the Australian Constitution.Who checks on whom?
Each of the three arms of Government checks on each other. The Constitution outlines systems and procedures which allow each arm of Government to review, evaluate and override the decisions made by the other two arms. Because each arm of Government knows it will be checked by the other two, it keeps them accountable and ensures that all decisions and actions they make follow the law. An important feature of Australia’s democratic system of government is the Rule of Law which ensures that we have a free, fair and democratic society. The separation of powers and the checks and balances they conduct are essential to maintaining the rule of law.A pertinent analogy
It can be helpful to have an analogy, and while schools do not operate exactly like the government, there are similarities. Within your school you can split the staff into three levels:- The teaching staff– Teachers are basically the Parliament within the school. They make new rules (laws) and make changes to existing rules – so long as they are inline with the school policies (the Constitution). They also ensure that the rules are followed or in legal speak – they ensure that the students ‘follow the law’.
- The Deputy/Assistant Principal– The deputy leaders act as the ‘Governor General’ and Executive and must approve the rules made by the teachers and manage how the rules are upheld. They are in charge of the teachers and also deal with additional issues that come up regarding social, financial and environmental issues. The deputy leaders can only use their power as set out by the school policies (Constitution).
- The Principal– The Principal is the Judiciary and may operate on his/her own or with the assistance of a school board or governing council. The Principal can review and interpret the rules made by the teachers, as well as decisions made by the deputy principals, and provide an avenue for decisions to be challenged if necessary. Principals in Australia do not have the freedom to do whatever they want. Like teachers and deputy leaders, they must also operate within the school policies and guidelines.
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