If you’ve been following along at home, you’d know I’ve spent the better part of the last six months throwing myself prostrate at the feet of our federal politicians to get them to understand how vital it is that our kids know how to spot misinformation when they come across it online.

It’s why we created Newshounds – our free media literacy resource for primary school classrooms. Which we’re ecstatic to report has had more than 3,5000 teachers from around Australia sign-up to do it with their kids.

It’s also why I travelled to Canberra last month and gave evidence to a Parliamentary Inquiry on Social Media.

Well – we’re pleased to report the good folk who run the show down Canberra-way are beginning to take note.

The second interim report from the parly inquiry was released about ten days ago, and among its recommendations is the “establishment of a Digital Competency Fund” which “should have a strong focus on the digital media literacy of young Australians”.

So, a big woo-hoo to that .

We’re especially proud of report item 3.137, and I quote: “several participants highlighted the work of Squiz Kids and its Newshounds media literacy program for primary school children.”

So, a double woo-hoo to that .

There’s still a long way to go, as we push for government-mandated media literacy education for all Aussie kids at all schools (just as California has recently done) – but as I’m fast learning, when it comes to talking-to-government, you take and celebrate the wins when and where you get them.

US election + talking to kids about politics …

On the subject of kids and politics .. they go together like oil and water, right?

Wrong.

To hop back up on my soap box for a moment, kids learning about the system of government in the country in which they live is not only good for them, but also good for democracy. Afterall, you can’t protect what you don’t understand.

And in this hugely significant week of global politics (did anyone say US Presidential elections?) we’re pointing any of our loyal listeners to an excellent podcast series we have produced in association with the Museum of Australian Democracy called ‘The Sensational World of Civics!‘.

Yes: that title is a blatant attempt to make civics sexy and appealing to kids. And that’s because the series explores (in our trademark fun fashion): the history of Australia’s democracy (including how and why Canberra was chosen as the nation’s capital), how elections work, what happens in Parliament, and how kids can get involved in the democratic process.

It’s a super-easy listen on a super-important subject. And if all the Kamala v Trump action is piquing your kids’ interest in politics – it’s a great place to start some important conversations.

Oh, and teachers: there are curriculum-aligned classroom worksheets too. All free. Because we like to give …

Check it out on Apple Podcasts or via our website: squizkids.com.au, where you’ll find it under the ‘Evergreens’ menu tab. You’re welcome.

This week on Squiz Kids …

This week in Squiz The World, we strap ourselves into the Squiz Kids Super-Fast Supersonic Jetliner to pay a visit to South Africa …  a country that’s as famous for its chequered political history as it is for the wildlife that live on its savannahs. In this highly-political week, it’s a timely virtual visit to a country still figuring out its race relations. The pod drops first thing tomorrow.

We’ll be covering all the news out of the US election (in our signature kid-friendly way) in the daily news pod on Wednesday and Thursday. And then of course, on Friday – there’s our celebrated Kids v Adult Weekly News S’Quiz. I’m told the competition between parents and kids on the school drop-off can get quite heated…

And as a bit of a lookahead – next week’s Squiz Kids Shortcut will be on Australia At War … an Armistice Day-inspired look at the theatres of war in which Australian forces have fought – how and why they happened and why it’s important to commemorate them. It drops next Tuesday. You won’t want to miss it.

On our radar …

We’re up to our eyeballs all day, everyday in all things kids and parenting. So when we see an article or come across a topic we think you might be interested in, we’ll post it here.

Go to the light … have you ever given much thought to light-exposure? How you light your house at night? What light your kids are exposed to in the hours before bed time (and whether any of it is coming from a screen)? No. I hadn’t either. Until I read this article (paywall protected)…

A Snapchat warning  … if your kids aren’t already on it, they soon will be. Or they’ll be pestering you to let them on it. But as this article from the BBC explains: parents need to know the risks, especially when it comes to online grooming.

Smile on your dial … 

Nothing is more inspiring in the sporting world than the underdog getting up for a win. And so I took special pleasure over the weekend seeing Tonga just manage to hold off a resurgent Kiwi side to advance to the final of the Pacific Cup. With a shoutout to whoever is running Tonga’s Instagram account – which is very entertaining.

I know it’s unpatriotic, and I know not everyone shares my interest in the game: but wouldn’t it be grand to see them go all the way? Have yourselves a Tongan sort of a week.