Our Community About General Studies
Our Community
About General Studies
We teach General Studies at Canberra Grammar School because, just like regular exercise and a hearty breakfast, General Studies is good for growing boys. It is good because it shows them the world as it is and challenges them to change it. It shows them what sort of place Australia is and what sort of place it might be.
General Studies provides opportunities for our boys to engage with a wide range of current issues from an interdisciplinary perspective.; it enables us to suck from the marrow of vast expertise on our doorstep here in Canberra.
The subject is compulsory in Year 11. It is seen in the broadest educational terms. Questions of morality and ethics arise frequently and healthy scrutiny of all viewpoints is actively encouraged.
The teaching of General Studies is modeled on the type of teaching and learning situations encountered at the tertiary level, namely a combination of large group lectures and smaller tutorial groups.
In General Studies we invite the outside world into CGS. Please fill in the form below if you would like to join the program as a speaker.
2008 Program
TERM-1 'An Australian in the 21st Century'
In Term 1, Year 11 General Studies students examined, 'What it means to be an Australian in the 21st Century'. Prime Minister Rudd's apology to the stolen generations provided the initial focus and discussion centred on the place of Muslim society in mainstream Australia and a wider exploration of Australia's place in Asia.
To these ends two excellent speakers shared their expertise and knowledge with the students.
Dr Bill O'Malley
Prior to receiving his doctorate from Cornell University, (specializing in comparative politics and development economics) Dr O'Malley completed two tours of duty in Vietnam as part of the 101st airborne. He moved to Australia and became a research fellow at ANU in the department of Political and Social Change. Since 1986 and until recent retirement Dr O'Malley has worked with the Asia section of the Australian Government's Office of National Assessment. His responsibilities included providing assessment on political, military and foreign affairs matters relating to Southeast Asia. He has published extensively on Indonesian political, social and economic history and on many issues associated with international affairs.
Ms Diana Rahman
Ms Rahman is an acknowledged presenter on topical issues related to the Muslim community. She was most recently featured in Tomorrow's Islam authored by ABC journalists Geraldine Doogue and Peter Kirkwood and in The Australian Women's Weekly in an article on the perspective of Australian Muslim women. Ms Rahman was the International Women's Day award in 2005 and the 2001 Centenary of Federation Medal for her contribution to the betterment of the Australian Muslim community. She is a committed Peace Activist and has a very high profile in the Australian Muslim Community as a strong campaigner for multicultural issues.
TERM-2/3 'China Rising'
China Rising Lecture 1: Monday June 2, Dr Ron Husiken, ANU Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies. The impact of China on Australia's defence and strategic relationships.
Lecture 2: Monday June 16, Mr Jin Liu, Embassy of the People's Republic of China. A Chinese perspective on China.
Tutorial 1: Monday July 23
Lecture 3: Monday July 28, Professor Geremie Barme, ANU Pacific and Asian History Division. “China's Olympic Year" (including the torch relay, Tibet and associated issues)
Lecture 4: Monday August 4, Dr Richard Rigby, Executive Director, ANU China Institute. The rise of China - problems, implications, prospects for the future
Tutorial 2: Monday August 11 In-class assessment task
Ashley Hogan
General Studies
= Required