Editorial Too Many Fail The Test
Illawarra Mercury
Thursday January 3, 2008
FORMER prime minister John Howard had a hand in putting together Australia's controversial citizenship test.
That is probably why some of the questions relate to famous Australian sportsmen like Sir Don Bradman and values and way of life.But it is not the questions that are now under the spotlight, but the fact that more than one in five of our would-be citizens are flunking the exam.The failure rate is embarrassing enough for new Immigration Minister Chris Evans to order a thorough review of a quiz branded as discriminatory when introduced in October last year.Not surprisingly, ethnic groups have backed moves for an overhaul of a process they claim excludes people who would otherwise make a significant contribution to Australia.They say it should rely less on culture and more on practical knowledge of Australia.It certainly seems to make more sense to have prospective citizens with low levels of English, particularly refugees, take classes rather than a test that creates an unreasonable barrier to a new life.
© 2008 Illawarra Mercury