Talkback Classroom

"Talkback Classroom" is a monthly Australian political forum broadcast on ABC Radio National as part of the "Life Matters" program. The forum is held at the National Museum of Australia, and involves secondary school students from around Australia interviewing various prominent politicians, business and community leaders on current affairs issues. Past guests have included two heads of government: John Howard (Australia) and Helen Clark (New Zealand).

The initiative itself began at a regional high school in Alexandra, Victoria, [Figgin, Jane (Sep. 11, 1996). " [http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/edurpt/estories/er110996.htm Internationalising Australian Education and Information Technologies] ". "ABC Radio National Transcripts" (see interview with Alexandra High School)] and was then broadcast on Triple J for five years. The program moved to the National Museum where television recording was introduced through use of the museum's television studio.

International forums

The forum has begun to incorporate one international forum in each four shows per semester, with three panellists from Australia and three from another country interviewing a guest via video link. "Talkback Classroom" has an ongoing partnership Smithsonian Institution in the United States to run forums, [Smithsonian Education (2006). [http://smithsonianeducation.org/talkback/ Talk Back Classroom] . Retrieved May 11, 2006.] and in 2005 worked with the United Nations when Shashi Tharoor, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, was interviewed from United Nations headquarters. [National Museum of Australia (2005). [http://www.schools.nma.gov.au/schools/events_and_activities/talkback_classroom_index/past_forums/2005_talkback_classroom/semester_2_2005_forum_dates_guests_panellists/60th_anniversary_united_nations_forum/ 60th anniversary United Nations forum] . Retrieved May 11, 2006.] In June 2006, the first international forum featuring all students interviewing in a country other than Australia included two Australians working with two students from South Korea in Seoul; the guest was Chung-in Moon, a Professor of Political Science at Yonsei University. [National Museum of Australia (2006). [http://www.nma.gov.au/education/events_and_activities/talkback_classroom_index/past_forums/2006_talkback_classroom/canberra_seoul_forum/ About the Canberra/Seoul forum] . Retrieved May 11, 2006.] Most recently in 2007 students from Korea visited Australia to join two Australian to undertake an investigation into issues pertaining to the theme of Energy. The students then recorded an interview with the then Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. The student investigation and subsequent interview with Downer was the subject of a one hour documentary broadcast on Korean television network EBS.

References

External links

* [http://www.nma.gov.au/education/talkback_classroom/"Talkback Classroom" online]
* [http://www.peo.gov.au/programs/index.html "Parliamentary Education Office programs"] - Parliamentary Education Office page
* [http://www.un.org/works/talkback/index.html UN Works |Talkback Classroom] - United Nations page on 2005 Shashi Tharoor forum.
* [http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/bishop-wrongfooted-by-a-class-act/2007/06/13/1181414376549.html "Bishop Wrong-Footed by a Class Act"] - The Age article on Julie Bishop forum