Macquarie University has scrapped a controversial requirement for law students to deliver an Acknowledgement of Country as part of an oral assessment, following widespread backlash and criticism from students, politicians and commentators.
The Sydney-based university faced intense scrutiny after it was revealed that students in the elective unit Age and the Law were being graded on their ability to deliver a “thoughtful, exceptionally well-written, culturally respectful” Acknowledgement or Welcome to Country — one of five criteria in an oral exam worth 30 per cent of their final grade.
The move sparked accusations of “indoctrination”, with shadow minister for Indigenous Australians Jacinta Nampijinpa Price slamming the assessment as “quite disgraceful” and describing it as a “reinvention of culture”. Indigenous leader Warren Mundine also criticised the task, calling it a “dangerous step” and “indoctrination by a group of fanaticists”.
In a statement, Macquarie University acknowledged the requirement was “not appropriate” and confirmed the Acknowledgement of Country would no longer form part of the LAWS5005 assessment in future offerings.
“The university’s standard practice of unit moderation will ensure that students who choose to opt out of the acknowledgement are not penalised in their grades or risk failing the unit.”
While the university defended the inclusion as a skill “commonly employed across the sector”, including in law firms and government agencies, it ultimately conceded to mounting pressure.
Course convener Dr Holly Doel-Mackaway previously defended the task, stating it was about students “acknowledging their positionality as a student of law on this unceded land”.
However, several students expressed concerns about being forced to adopt political stances they did not believe in, with one telling The Australian they felt pressured to “express an opinion that I don’t truly believe in”.
The Acknowledgement of Country assessment was not the only controversial element in the unit. The course reportedly also included a “privilege walk” exercise, where students role-played individuals from varying socioeconomic backgrounds and were asked to step forward or back based on their perceived privilege — an activity some students claimed made them feel ashamed of their backgrounds.
This latest controversy follows the university’s earlier decision to withdraw its mandatory “Manawari” course, which labelled non-Indigenous students as “settlers” and “guests” in Australia, sparking further public debate about the role of identity politics in higher education.
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