Julie Bishop Has a Lesson on "Never Work With Children". (June 14, 2007)

    The Age's Jewel Topsfield reports on the Minister for Education, Science and Training's baptism of sharing the recording studio of Canberra's National Museum as part of the Talkback Classroom program with three bright teenagers.

First there was 17-year-old Elliot Cameron, of Fort Street High School in NSW: "It does seem to us (that) politicians have turned education into political football," and referring to Ms Bishop's remark that some themes in school curricula are straight from Chairman Mao, "Is this rhetoric helpful?"

Ms Topsfield writes the Minister replied that: "She had looked at courses and exam questions sent in by people 'concerned about the kind of ideology steeped in some Australian school subjects'. She had commissioned experts to develop a core national curriculum in key subjects."

Sam Goldsmith, of Masada College, NSW then piped up: "Why would the new curriculum be any less tainted by ideology?" Which brought Master Cameron back on song, He said that in 1996, the Prime Minister criticised the "black armband view of history. Isn't teaching pride just as dangerous as teaching shame?"

Ms Topsfield finishes her writeup:

Ms Bishop insisted John Howard had been talking about the need for a "sensible centre".

The panel then took questions in the studio, despite Ms Bishop protesting that she had to be back in Parliament.

Ben Duggin, from Canberra College, asked how she would teach the Howard Government era in 30 years. "Would you make reference to AWB … the children overboard, Iraq, or would you say they were the greatest economic managers of this century?"

Ms Bishop replied: "I'm not in the business of trying to rewrite history."

A Government insider later said the questions appeared to have been planted by unions and the NSW curriculum board.

There you go, set up by the National Museum.

If the Coalition gets returned at the coming election, the museum's budget may get a bit of a drubbing come May 2008.