An invitation to the launch of “The Sinking of the SIEV X: A case study for secondary school history students”,  on 19 October 2006 at the Main Committee Room, Parliament House, Canberra, at 10:30 for 11:00am

 

NB: Please be punctual and carry photographic ID to allow time to be signed in and escorted to the committee room in time for the launch.  Please RSVP to Ms Zoe Whittaker (contact details below).  

 

 

Declaration: I am not part of this Committee, a public interest project initiated by Don Maclurcan and others a year ago.  I thoroughly endorse their worthy project aims (see their background note below). I will attend these two events on 19 October, the Fifth Anniversary of the sinking of SIEV X on 19 October 2001.  I hope as many as possible ACT region history teachers and students in school-years 10 and 11 may attend this important event at Parliament House, by Professor John Molony as MC and Steve Biddulph as guest speaker.   Tony Kevin, 26 September 2006.

 

 

 

Letter to me from SIEV X Secondary School's Case Study Committee:

 

Dear Mr Kevin,

 

The SIEV X Secondary School's Case Study Committee warmly invites you to join us for the launch of our case study on 'The Sinking of the SIEV X'. The study has been developed in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders and is planned for use in year 11 Modern History classes, across a number of States and Territories, in 2007. A project summary is attached for those unfamiliar with what has been undertaken.

 

Our launch is at Parliament House, Canberra, on October 19th - to coincide with the 5th Anniversary of the sinking and the subsequent loss of 353 lives. Please find a text version of the invitation below and the official .jpeg version, attached.

 

***  Feel free to pass this invitation on to others. We are particularly keen to welcome history teachers and students to the launch. ***

 

We look forward to meeting with you at the launch.

 

Sincerely,

 

SIEV X Secondary School's Case Study Committee

www.sievxreader.com

 

 

An invitation to the launch of:

The Sinking of the SIEV X: A case study for secondary school history students

 

Date: 19th October

Place: Main Committee Room, Parliament House, Canberra

Time: 10:30 for 11:00am

Official Launch: 11:00 – 11:30am with tea and coffee until 12:00pm

Guest speaker: Mr Steve Biddulph

MC: Emeritus Professor of History (ANU) John Molony

 

An informal lunch to commemorate the 5^th Anniversary of the sinking and loss of life will be held at the National Press Club from 12:30pm.

To RSVP for either/both, please contact Ms Zoe Whittaker: zoewhittaker@gmail.com or (02) 95148789.

 

 

‘The Sinking of the SIEV X'

A Case Study for use in Australian secondary schools' history curricula

 

On 19 October, 2001, a small boat (now known as the SIEV X) carrying over 400, mostly Iraqi and Afghani, would-be-asylum-seekers bound for Australia, sank in waters between Indonesia and Australia's Christmas Island. Three hundred and fifty three people - mostly women and children - drowned. The sinking of the SIEV X provides an entry point and focus for secondary school students of Modern History to study an issue relevant to Australia's recent history.

 

Aims of the project

• To provide a balanced, impartial set of materials for a 6-week Case Study, fitting within the NSW Board of Studies' Modern History Stage 6 syllabus, via which, Year 11 students can develop the confidence, knowledge and skills to address the question, 'Was the sinking of SIEV X and subsequent loss of life preventable?';
• To assist students in developing analytical and evaluation skills relating to a diverse range of sources; and
• To give students an opportunity to engage with an issue relevant to recent Australian history.

 

Who we are

The project was initiated by Don Maclurcan, a PhD student from Sydney with a passion for Australian history. In 2005, Don was joined by Gaby Grammeno (writer/editor), Daniel Street (journalist) and Anna Harding (solicitor), who then formed the ‘SIEV X Secondary School's Case Study Committee'. Caroline Linschoten and Carlo Tuttocuore, senior history teachers at St Aloysius' and Rosebank Colleges, both in Sydney, provided input.

 

The group is not affiliated with any political party, non-government organisation or advocacy group, and takes no particular position in the controversies surrounding the sinking of the SIEV X.

 

The committee is working on a voluntary, non-profit basis, assisted by donations from well‑wishers and a grant from The Mercy Foundation whose assistance is acknowledged with appreciation.

 

Our methods

In early 2006, the committee requested submissions for source materials from a wide range of interested parties from the public sector and wider community. The response was overwhelming. These source materials formed the basis for the reader: The Sinking of the SIEV X and its accompanying compact disc, which can be used by Modern History teachers in 2007.

 

The project was carried out in consultation with The New South Wales Board of Studies and the History Teachers Association of NSW.

 

The reader

The reader will be a printed, text booklet of around 20 pages and include a compact disc of selected audio-visual source materials that have been cited in the text. The reader is designed for guided, individual use and to accommodate teachers and students wishing to conduct any level of research into the issues raised.

 

The reader will be published as a hard‑copy booklet with an initial print run of 500 copies. The History Teacher's Association of NSW has agreed to assist with publicity to teachers.

 

Schools will be able to purchase copies of the reader at a small fee necessary for recovery of printing and associated costs.

 

Contact information

For more information please visit our website: www.sievxreader.com or contact Don Maclurcan by mobile: 0404363785 or email: donmaclurcan@gmail.com.