Minister for Miseducation

"New South Wales Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt has been embarrassed after giving the wrong answer when asked why Australia Day is celebrated.

"A leaked report commissioned by federal and state education ministers has found that more than three-quarters of Australian teenagers do not know that Australia Day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet.

"When asked about the meaning of Australia Day on Sydney radio station Nova, Ms Tebbutt did not appear to either.

"'We celebrate Australia Day because that's the day that we became a nation and the states joined together,' she said."

Having blown hard about schools not teaching Australian history, and children not knowing the meaning of Australia Day (and we agree with her), what Education Minister Tebbutt should have answered the reporter is not about January 1 (commemoration of Federation), but January 26 (Australia Day).

Tagged: australia, calendar+customs