Learning to Love our Country

Dear Reader,

As 2025 draws to a close I would like to thank you for your support of the Institute of Public Affairs and for the IPA School Program. At times in our nation’s history like the present we are reminded of how important it is to stand up for what we believe and to take a position against those who would tear down our country’s heritage of freedom, democracy, and equality. Make no mistake; the evil of anti-Semitism has its modern-day roots in the wicked ideology of identity politics.

The education of young people is one of the most important responsibilities of parents and adults. It is through education that beliefs and values are formed, and of course that is why the left places such importance on education. And that is why in 2023 the IPA took its work with teachers and schools to the next level. The IPA Schools Program has gone from strength to strength, and the IPA’s education and resource materials are now reaching an estimated 20,000 students a quarter in classrooms across Australia.

At the heart of our efforts remains a simple but vital mission: to rebuild education in Australia so it truly serves our children, equips them with fundamental knowledge and critical thinking skills, and honours our shared history and democratic values. We do this because too many classrooms are being shaped by ideological priorities that distract from core learning and divide young Australians. From foundational literacy to civics and citizenship, education should empower students to understand and contribute to the world with confidence and clarity – not burden them with guilt or confusion.

Of the many failures of our education system, perhaps the greatest is the failure to have young people appreciate and understand their own country. Children are constantly being told how bad Australia is. What they’re not being told is how Australia has welcomed with open arms millions of people from around the world who have chosen to make Australia their home and to enjoy the privilege of being Australian.

For this reason I’m delighted to let you know of an exciting new project that the IPA Schools Program will be developing in 2026. ‘This Land’ is a collaborative project of the IPA and Colin Lillie, a musician and songwriter. You might remember Colin. He’s the husband of Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, and during the Voice referendum he spoke powerfully and personally about how he didn’t want his family to be divided by the Voice.

‘This Land’ is a song that tells the story of Australia that young people can be proud of, and to go with it the IPA will be producing education materials that teachers can use in the classroom to elaborate on the themes of the song. Using music is one of the most effective ways of encouraging learning.

You can watch ‘This Land’ here. You can also listen on Spotify here.

I’m looking forward to telling you much more about ‘This Land’ in the months ahead.

In 2025, the successes of the IPA Schools Program included:

• Every month we released a new free, Australian curriculum-aligned fully detailed teaching resource. These units offer everything a teacher or parent needs including lesson plans, worksheets (and answers), reference sources, visual support material and the curriculum markers to justify its use in the classroom. This year’s releases have included additions to our Australian Pioneers series with units on Charles Rasp, Howard Florey, and David Unaipon; a deep dive into ‘What is the best Energy for Australia?’; and, in Civics, ‘There’s Going to Be an Election’ that helps students develop their knowledge and understanding of elections in their democracy.
• We have continued to lead national conversations about the direction of education, appearing in broadcast and print media to challenge divisive curriculum trends and advocate for an education grounded in evidence and common sense. Our regular media engagements including discussions on Sky News and ABC Radio, and publications in The Spectator Australia have helped bring these issues to a broader public audience.
• Our research initiatives, such as the Childhood Climate Anxiety Project, have broken new ground in exploring how emotionally charged curriculum content affects young learners, calling for reforms that protect children’s wellbeing and prioritise intellectually honest teaching.
• In time for schools’ return and Australia Day we will release a very important unit on Captain Arthur Phillip, and then our ‘Pioneers competition’ for students.

Inspired by Tony Abbott’s book Australia: A History, in 2026 we will continue working on a new initiative under the Centre for the Australian Way of Life banner, ‘Proud Australia’.

‘Proud Australia’ will produce three main deliverables:

• A book on Australian History for middle school aged students told chronologically, but through the prism of the Australian values of Freedom, Democracy, Service and Sacrifice, Equality, Resilience and Endeavour. Students will learn of significant events and people who demonstrated these values and helped shape this great nation.
• A collection of detailed teacher resource material that will help students develop a coherent outline of the creation and development of post-settlement Australia – a coherence that is absent from the official curriculum.
• A picture chapter book for younger students who will learn of the hardships and opportunities Australia has afforded generations of immigrants. It is a celebration of Australian values and our way of life.

Our education programs are long-term projects that require ongoing investment. Thank you for your support, which has enabled us to expand our resource offerings, deepen our research, extend our outreach, and bring this critical work to more schools, parents, and educators across the nation.

Thank you for standing with us as we champion an education system worthy of Australia’s children and Australia’s future.