Senator the Hon Scott Ryan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education and Training, today opened the 20th National Schools Constitutional Convention at Old Parliament House.

123 Year 11 and 12 student delegates, who were selected through state and territory conventions, will offer their views on the checks and balances found in the Australian Constitution and consider whether Australia should also have a bill of rights.

At the conclusion of the convention, the students’ views will be presented to Senator the Hon Stephen Parry, President of the Senate, for inclusion in the Senate Hansard.

Senator Ryan said, “All Australians should be proud of the uniquely democratic roots of our Constitution, and how its features have made Australia, despite being one of the youngest nations on earth, one of the oldest continuous democracies.”

“The Australian Constitution not only has a unique democratic foundation, it has provided for continuous development of our democracy and political and cultural life as a nation. It has provided the democratic architecture that has seen Australia survive the threat of war and invasion, constitutional and political crises, as well as underpin the profound social and economic change that has occurred since we united as a nation in 1901,” Senator Ryan said.

“I hope the delegates at the National Schools Constitutional Convention will get to know our Constitution better and learn how it continues to shape Australian society.

“This year’s Convention will focus on the significance of the Magna Carta on its 800th anniversary. As the drafters of our Constitution themselves acknowledged, the Magna Carta has been woven into the fabric of Australian democracy.”

The 2015 National Schools Constitutional Convention is supported Australian Government funding.

The 2015 National Schools Constitutional Convention runs from 24 March to 26 March 2015.