How law students at one of Australia’s biggest universities could FAIL their exam if they don’t perform a good enough Welcome to Country – even though it has nothing to do with their course

Law students at a top Sydney university could fail an exam if they don’t begin it with a heartfelt Welcome to Country.

The requirement is part of Macquarie University’s ‘law reform campaign’ oral exam, which counts for 30 per cent of the final mark in the course ‘age and the law’.

The exam rules said a student would fail if they didn’t present an Acknowledgement or Welcome to Country  or ‘did so in a way that was inappropriate or did not comply with the instructions’, the Australian reported.

The rules also contain an explanation saying ‘There is significant room for improvement and further thought required for this to be considered culturally respectful’.

To get a high distinction mark, a student’s Acknowledgement of Country would be ‘a brief, thoughtful, exceptionally well-written, culturally respectful acknowledgement of country or welcome to country at the beginning of the presentation’.

Coming just days after another accusation of ‘wokeness’ at the same university, Indigenous Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has slammed the exam as ‘indoctrination’. 

Senator Nampijinpa Price said ‘mandating that students participate in what is arguably a reinvention of culture in order to attain a tertiary qualification is an indictment on our education system’. 

The NT senator added that it showed universities were ‘more interested in indoctrination than genuine education’. 

Indigenous businessman Warren Mundine also said what Macquarie University is doing is ‘indoctrination’. 

Mr Mundine, who was one of the leaders of the No campaign in the failed Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum, said he was ‘flabbergasted’ and that the exam was  ‘pure indoctrination by a group of fanaticists’. 

He said it was ‘a dangerous step … what has that got to do with the actual course?’ 

Senator Nampijinpa Price added that ‘Australians are fed up with being made to feel like they are guests in their own country’ and blamed the federal Labor government. 

‘The Albanese government has allowed activist behaviour like this to take root in our schools and tertiary institutions.

‘That is why a Dutton Coalition government will get our country back on track, and ensure universities are focused on core academic instruction and research, rather than political agendas, and to treating people on the basis of need rather than race.’

In a statement Macquarie University said ‘An Acknowledgment of, or Welcome to Country is a requirement of this assessment because it is relevant both to this specific task and to the overall learning outcomes of the unit, Age and the Law. 

‘This unit addresses Indigenous young people and their relationship with the legal system in Australia.’

The spokesperson added that ‘Age and the Law comprises three assessments. This is the only assessment in this unit that requires an Acknowledgment of, or Welcome to country.

‘An Acknowledgment of, or Welcome to country is not a requirement of all assessment tasks at the university, nor is this a requirement of all assessment within the Macquarie Law School.’

The latest revelation at what has been called Australia’s ‘wokest’ university comes days after it said it will scrap its divisive and mandatory ‘Manawari’ course that labelled non-Indigenous students ‘visitors’ and ‘settlers’. 

The controversial module made headlines when a student revealed she was required to take the class which called her a guest in Australia – despite being born and raised here.

‘The tutor made us all raise our hands and she asked overseas students to put their hands down, then students who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to put their hands down,’ student Ava told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.

‘The rest of us with our hands still remaining, she basically called us all guests and that we don’t belong here in Australia.

‘Considering I was born here 20 years ago and grown up here my entire life, I just was a bit taken back by it and it didn’t sit with me very well.’

But after the module outraged Aussies, and questions were asked by Liberal MPs in the state parliament, the university has axed it.

Macquarie vice-chancellor Bruce Dowton was summoned to the NSW Parliament, where he admitted that errors had been made.

Liberal upper house member Susan Carter asked the vice-chancellor if the Manawari module included material ‘that non-Indigenous students are taught that they are visitors and settlers in their own land?’

Ms Carter suggested the controversial module ‘does not really build a culture of inclusion, which is one of Macquarie’s core values’.

‘Those words were in the introduction to this module when that was raised with me,’ Mr Dowton replied.

‘I asked that that be reviewed. Those words have now been removed.’

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Macquarie University for further comment.