Talkback Classroom

Talkback Classroom

Company type	Educational program
Industry	Education, Broadcasting
Founded	1995
Founder	Stephen Cutting
Headquarters	Australia
Area served	Australia, International (via forums)
Products	Youth interviews, Educational forums, Radio broadcasts

Talkback Classroom serves as a platform that empowers young individuals to conduct interviews with politicians and influential decision makers, effectively acting as a Voice for the Voteless by encouraging youth participation in civic matters. The initiative was launched in 1995 by Stephen Cutting, a teacher at Alexandra Secondary School, initially as a classroom activity where secondary students interviewed notable figures over the phone. Its growing appeal led to the creation of a radio segment in 1996 on ABC Regional Radio Albury Wodonga, facilitating three-way calls among students, interviewees, and hosts. By 1997, it had transformed into a monthly national broadcast on ABC's youth-oriented station Triple J, produced by Cutting during his tenure at ABC Radio. Up until 2001, Talkback Classroom featured student-led interviews with prominent Australian politicians and key decision makers.

Between 2001 and 2008, the program was conducted live at the National Museum of Australia and aired on Radio National's Life Matters as well as ABC's Fly TV digital channel. It involved secondary students from across Australia engaging with top politicians, business executives, and community leaders to discuss contemporary issues. Distinguished participants included Australian Prime Minister John Howard, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, along with various ministers, shadow ministers, and leading opinion shapers.

International forums

While based at the National Museum, Talkback Classroom expanded its reach internationally by linking Australian panelists with their overseas counterparts through video conferencing to interview distinguished guests. Collaborations encompassed institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution in the United States and the United Nations, where in 2005 UN Under-Secretary-General Shashi Tharoor was interviewed remotely from UN headquarters. In June 2006, the inaugural fully international forum took place with Australian and South Korean students jointly interviewing Professor Chung-in Moon in Seoul.

In 2007, Korean students traveled to Australia to partner with their Australian peers on an Energy-focused inquiry that culminated in an interview with then Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. This event was featured in a one-hour broadcast on Korea’s EBS network.

Stephen Cutting, alongside the National Museum Education Manager, created the Learning Journey educational framework, which immerses students in thematic research supported by expert interviews and interactive activities designed to enhance understanding and engagement prior to each forum.

Following the loss of its venue and principal sponsor in 2008, Cutting arranged for the National Press Club to host subsequent events. In March 2009, the Press Club facilitated the Australia-Japan forum where Australian and Japanese students interviewed Foreign Minister Stephen Smith and Ambassador Taka-aki Kojima, with funding from the Australia Japan Foundation. The year 2010 saw the launch of Malaysian forums featuring collaborative teams of Australian and Malaysian students examining education topics at a forum held by the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. That same year, Cutting introduced Talkback Classroom to Thailand through professional development workshops. The final forum took place in 2012, bringing together Thai and Australian students in Melbourne and Bangkok to explore themes related to popular culture.

External links

• Talkback Classroom online resource
• Parliamentary Education Office programs – page of the Parliamentary Education Office
• UN Works | Talkback Classroom – United Nations site covering the 2005 Shashi Tharoor discussion
• Bishop Wrong-Footed by a Class Act – article from The Age regarding the Julie Bishop forum