2022 Premier's Anzac Student Tour

Students are required to prepare an extended written response of no more than 1000 words on the following topic:

• What would it have been like to grow up in a family affected by war?

In response, consider the impact on women, the community, and the expectations and responsibilities of people your own age by drawing on a selected Western Australian individual, community or group as evidence.

Use the Student application package to apply now. Student applications close 5.00pm, Friday 13 August 2021.

Schools conduct their own selection process and can nominate up to three students in each of the two categories of Years 8/9 and Year 10/11.

Students entering need to display:

• a genuine interest in the Anzac experience
• an appreciation of the study of history
• excellent interpersonal skills and self-confidence
• a willingness to share their tour experiences (if selected) in their school and local community.

To be eligible, all entrants require a nominating teacher and endorsement by the principal to confirm their suitability to represent their school, community and the State as a youth ambassador on the 2022 Premier’s Anzac Student Tour.

There is no single “right” approach to the topic. These ideas are shared as suggestions.

Students selected for the State final will have different approaches. In judging, consideration is given to school and regional representation.

Topic

• What would it have been like to grow up in a family affected by war?

In response, consider the impact on women, the community, and the expectations and responsibilities of people your own age by drawing on a selected Western Australian individual, community or group as evidence.

Possible ideas to address the topic

You might focus on:

1. War-time pressure and its impact on Western Australian society. For example:

• how family and friends coped with grief and loss;
• Anzac day as a national day of commemoration;
• an ex-service association;
• political, economic or social change in Western Australia; or
• treatment of Prisoners of War.

2. The experience of an individual, family, community, unit or battalion. For example, a:

• family member and their experience over time;
• ship, plane, tank, landmark, campaign or township; or
• Victoria Cross winner.

3. The rise of humanitarian movements in Australia, such as:

• anti-war and peace protests;
• the Red Cross or the Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau; or
• social attitudes to Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War.

4. How the Anzac legacy focuses attention on Gallipoli while excluding the:

• role played by Australian Flying Corps (now the Royal Australian Air Force);
• role played by the Royal Australian Navy;
• contribution of women; or
• voices of other Australian participants in the campaign.

5. Challenges to the Anzac legacy and its relevance. For example:

• for women;
• a multicultural Australia; or
• an era when anti-Vietnam War feelings were widespread.

Whichever approach you take, entrants are advised to examine:

• Western Australian communities; and
• significant responses to war.

Advice for teachers deciding which entries to submit:

1. Entries responding to all aspects of the question will be more competitive.
2. Entries will use a suitable written form.
3. The response will be no more than 1000 words (excluding the bibliography).
4. Entries without a bibliography will not be considered.
5. The panel expect to see students demonstrate increasing sophistication in their historical knowledge, understandings and skills from the Year 8/9 category to the Year 11 category.

Marking rubric

Assessment criteria	Excellent	High	Satisfactory
Knowledge and understanding of the topic	Outstanding evidence of historical understanding in relation to the topic	Good historical understanding in relation to the topic	Satisfactory historical understanding in relation to the topic
Purpose	Exceptional engagement of readers	Develops a good response which meets the task requirements	Knowledge and understanding of the task demonstrated
Content	Complex development of detail to achieve the task	Details meet the task requirements	Summary of people, places and events
Form (eg article, blog post, essay, letter, narrative (short story), review, speech or combination of forms for effect)	Crafts ideas through use of language to suit the form	Style of language is selected for engagement and appeal	Models ideas based on chosen written form

 

The Premier’s Anzac Student Tour is more than a written history competition where the students who write the ‘best’ responses are selected to travel overseas. Entry form information and written responses are both used to shortlist finalists.

Students selected for the State final will participate in a group discussion. During this final stage, judges will select young Western Australians with:

• a genuine interest in the Anzac experience;
• excellent interpersonal skills and self-confidence; and
• a willingness to share their Tour experiences with others on return.

Download a PDF version of this information.

Submitted entries are judged by a selection panel.

Key dates

Student applications close	Friday, 13 August 2021
State finalists are advised	Monday, 20 September 2021
State finalist group discussions	Friday, 1 October 2021
Announcement of 10 successful students	11 November 2021

There is an opportunity for two teacher supervisors to join the tour to:

• chaperone 10 students (in accordance with the Department of Education’s Excursions Policy)
• provide support in developing and delivering the history education program
• assist with organising the tour.

Teachers can use the Teacher Supervisor application package to find out more and apply now.

Teacher supervisor applications close 5.00pm, Friday 20 August 2021.