Steve Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 'Sports trivia' may go from Australia citizenship test: minister Mon Jan 28, 10:06 PM ET Australia will review its citizenship test only six months after its introduction, in part because of its emphasis on past sporting heroes, Immigration Minister Chris Evans said Tuesday. But would-be Aussies will still be quizzed on cricketing icon Sir Donald Bradman because he helps explain the nation's love of the sport, he said. Announcing the review in Canberra, Evans said "a range of concerns" had been raised about the 20-question test, which was introduced by the previous conservative government on October 1. He said the centre-left Labor government's review, which will begin in April, would examine the appropriateness of the multiple-choice test designed to demonstrate Australian values, traditions and history. "Labor's committed to the test, we think it's an important thing. It's a question of whether people should be failing the test on sports trivia," he said. Although generally well accepted by migrants, the exam appeared to focus too heavily on sporting heroes of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, he said. "Would you feel that you had failed to understand the virtues and responsibilities of being an Australian citizen if you got an answer wrong about Walter Lindrum," he said in reference to a billiards player who died almost half a century ago. "Seems to me that's not a basis on which we ought to decide someone not becoming an Australian citizen." But he said a question about Australia's greatest cricketer of the 1930s -- Sir Donald Bradman or The Don -- would not be dropped. "We all love The Don," he said. "I have no problem with The Don. I think The Don is a reasonable thing to put in any understanding of Australia, its love of cricket." Evans revealed that the test had a pass rate of 93 percent in its first three months, with South Africans, Indians and Filipinos scoring the highest results. He said most responses to the test were positive, but community groups had complained that some migrants, particularly those in the humanitarian intake, were scared by the exam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 Things like this make me cringe. I don't watch cricket apart from the world cup and Ashes, and don't much care about Bradman. Understanding the legal and political systems as an ordinary person would as well as a reasonable comprehension of English are fair enough, but cricket is just a game that a minority of people participate in in some way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted January 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 I would have missed that question were I to apply for citizenship. I'd have answered 'Who's the Don?' with 'Vito Corleone'. And I'd be right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 I would have missed that question were I to apply for citizenship. I'd have answered 'Who's the Don?' with 'Vito Corleone'. And I'd be right. Not when the questions are based on an Australian curriculum that they have to learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted January 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 Australians don't watch The Godfather? :smirk: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 Australians don't watch The Godfather? :smirk: Yeah but Bradman predates it by about 40 years.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 Ummm how about India ?...just a few over there watch and play... I do take your point however... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bust Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Again farken Little Johnny Howard stamping his mark. The cock insisted that the question be included in the test because he is such a cricket tragic. What an absolute ......and all his supporters... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted January 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Australians don't watch The Godfather? :smirk: Yeah but Bradman predates it by about 40 years.. The consequences for not saying Bradman is risking not becoming a citizen, the consquences for not giving Vito Corleone the proper respect are much dire! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 It was to learn about our sporting culture for the newbies.. Ok maybe a bit to much that one ... When my wife was being interviewed for her test just a few weeks before this new test started i could hear the guy in the next booth being questioned ..she asked him how did he get here? (Parramatta DIMA)..he said by plane He was told to come back in two weeks and learn more English.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.