Parliamentary role play
Parliamentary role plays give your students the opportunity to act out the various roles in Parliament to pass a law.
Our interactive activity allows your students to experience the law-making process firsthand by taking on the roles of Speaker, Clerk, Serjeant-at-Arms, Premier, Leader of the Opposition and other members of Parliament. This experience is conducted over 90 minutes and includes a short tour of Parliament House.
Our role play sessions have been designed to align with the Victorian curriculum.
Role play topics for grades 5/6
We have a number of different topics for our role plays that we will ask your students to vote on during your session.
Our Current topics are:
- E-scooters Bill
- Plastic Straws Bill
- Gambling Advertising Bill.
You can also prepare your own topic with your class by following these instructions:
Role play topics for VCE Legal Studies
We use real bills that have been passed through the Parliament as case studies to show your students how the Parliament makes laws.
At the time of booking, you will be asked to choose one of the following bills:
- Crimes Amendment (Bullying) Bill 2011 (Brodie’s Law)
- Crimes Amendment (Sexual Offences and Other Matters) Bill 2014 (known as the Sexting Bill)*
- Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2017*
- Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment (Medically Supervised Injecting Centre) Bill 2017*.
*These bills are examples of law reform coming from a Parliamentary committee inquiry.
Program details
| Selected program | Role Play (90 minutes / includes tour) |
| Year level | 5—6, 11—12 (VCE legal Studies students) |
| Group size | Maximum 30 students per session |
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Availability | Monday—Friday, 10:30 am & 1:30 pm |
If your school is in Metropolitan Melbourne we can visit you and conduct our role play in your the classroom. You can visit our Metropolitan Melbourne school visits page for more information.
We also take our role play on the road and visit regional schools around Victoria. For more information on the locations we will be visiting this year you can visit our regionals page.
Book your role play
Our bookings open six months in advance during the last week of each month.
We do not take bookings online.
First, you can view our availability by clicking the button below and selecting Role Play (90 minutes / includes tour).
When you have your preferred available dates and times, please send your booking request to:
In your booking request, please include the following information:
| Selected program | Role Play |
| Selected date/s | Find availablity |
| Selected time/s | |
| Number of students per time slot | |
| Class year level | |
| Role-play topic/bill (VCE Legal Studies students) | |
| School name and address | |
| Contact number for the booking |
Enquiries
- Phone: (03) 9651 8572
- Email: tours@parliament.vic.gov.au
Our committment to child safety
For more information on our child safe policy, please click the button below.
Details
Contact
To discuss your school's needs, contact our Tours and Customer Service Unit.
Phone: (03) 9651 8568
Email: tours@parliament.vic.gov.au
Address
Parliament House
Spring Street
East Melbourne Victoria 3002
Getting here
Tours depart from the Vestibule, located inside the main building entrance on Spring Street.
Public transport
By train: exit Parliament station at Bourke Street.
By tram:
- route 35 – stop 0 (Spring St/ Bourke St)
- routes 86, 96 – stop 9 (Bourke St/Spring St).
Parking/bus drop-off
There is no public parking at Parliament House.
There is a bus drop off area on Spring Street.
Security
Visitors to Parliament House are required to pass through a security checkpoint before entering the building. This involves a walk-through scanner and baggage scanning. Visitors with pacemakers should ask to be scanned using handheld scanners.
Bags must be left at reception when taking part in a tour or sitting in the public galleries.
Items you cannot bring to Parliament
The following items are not permitted at Parliament:
- weapons
- any types of blades (e.g. Swiss army knives, lock knives, eating utensils), hooks, scissors and other sharps
- liquids over 100ml and glass bottles (except water)
- any alcohol
- 'selfie' camera sticks and camera tripods
- chains and padlocks
- voice recorders, two-way radios and speakers
- handcuffs
- any tools (e.g. screwdrivers, multi-tools, bike tools, measuring tapes, metal rulers)
- helmets (e.g. bicycle and motorcycle)
- whistles
- permanent markers
- aerosols
- jet lighters
- long umbrellas
- balls and balloons
- signs or placards
- studded belts.
Any of the above items will be held by security for the duration of your visit. They will be returned when you leave or may be confiscated permanently in some cases.
More information
If you have any accessibility needs or concerns with security screening, please email security.team@parliament.vic.gov.au or call us on (03) 8682 2980 ahead of time so we can accommodate your visit.
Accessibility
Accessible entrance
People with a mobility or physical disability can access Parliament House through the side entrance on Spring street or the rear entrance on Macarthur Street.
Map
Accessible toilet
Accessible toilets are located on the ground level and level one.
Audio loop
Audio loops are available in the chambers. These can be used in conjunction with hearing aids.
Contact
For any enquiries regarding disability access and inclusion please email disabilityaccess@parliament.vic.gov.au
Social stories
Two social stories are available to accompany a visit to Parliament House. These have been designed for visitors who are neurodiverse who may like to read them in preparation for their visit. One is intended for readers of all ages, the other focuses on the experience of a school visit to parliament house.