Dan Tehan describes Africa as ‘a nation’ during Parliament Question Time

Australia’s new federal Education Minister has told parliament Africa is a nation.

Dan Tehan, who is in charge of national teaching standards, made the shocking gaffe during the end of Question Time at Parliament House on Monday.

A fortnight after being promoted into the role by new Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the minister from western Victoria was answering a ‘Dorothy Dixer’ question from Liberal backbench colleague Ann Sudmalis.

Australia’s new federal Education Minister Dan Tehan has told parliament Africa is a nation

His was promising to tie school funding to results, before appearing to put his foot in it.

‘We want to make sure that we get better grades, not abolish grades,’ he told the House of Representatives.

‘Without grades, how would we mark a geography student who didn’t know that Africa is a country, a nation?.’ 

‘Without grades, how would we mark an English student who didn’t know the meaning of the word “aspiration”?.’ 

The cabinet minister was answering a question about education funding when he made his apparent faux pas about Africa (Morocco in North Africa pictured) 

Mr Tehan defended himself on Tuesday, claiming he was being ‘facetious’.

‘We know Africa is a continent and we clearly know Africa is a continent,’ he told Sky News.

The cabinet minister, however, had to be reminded by Sky presenter Laura Jayes that he ‘misspoke in parliament’ before claiming he was being ironic.

‘What I was doing was being rather facetious,’ he said.

In September 2014, Labor’s deputy leader Tanya Plibersek made a similar faux pas about Africa during a media conference on foreign aid.

‘Africa is one of the countries that has suffered most from these cuts to the aid budget,’ she told reporters.

In September 2014, Labor’s deputy leader Tanya Plibersek made a similar faux pas about African during a media conference on foreign aid outside Parliament House in Canberra

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