Ethics in schools

By Teresa Russell

This article was published in Living Ethics: issue 80 winter 2010

In the past few months, St James Ethics Centre and the NSW Federation of Parents and Citizens Associations have begun to roll out a pilot program that provides an ethics complement to special religious education. Teresa Russell gives an update on what has become a hotly-debated issue in the community.

Provision of scripture classes in NSW primary schools is based on a 19th century agreement between church and state. When the state took over public education from the churches around 1880, it agreed to reserve an hour a week for special religious education (SRE), a move no doubt agreeable to almost all parents at the time. In 1901 only 0.4% of the Australian population identified themselves as having no religion, whereas at the last census (2006), 18.7% did so.

The provision of SRE and the child’s right to opt out is enshrined in law. A flow-on policy of the NSW Department of Education and Training (DET) then prohibits children who are not attending ‘scripture’ from receiving any formal instruction during this period, and specifically not in the area of ‘ethics, values, civics and general religious education’.

Although the number of students who ‘opt out’ of SRE is not centrally collated, anecdotal reports suggest that around 25% of NSW primary children are only permitted to undertake private study for that period every week. Much higher incidences – well over 50% – are reported in some schools where parent populations are more secular or where SRE providers are unable to meet the particular needs of the student population.

students are learning to take a thoughtful
approach to moral decision-making

Late last year, following several approaches over seven years, the NSW Government approved a joint request by the Federation of NSW Parents and Citizens Associations (the P&C) and St James Ethics Centre to run a pilot ethics program for children who opt out of SRE in ten schools.

The schools that self-nominated to participate in the trial are Darlinghurst, Bungendore, Haberfield, Rozelle, Hurstville, Ferncourt, Baulkham Hills North, Leichhardt, Randwick and Crown Street public schools.

Professor Phillip Cam from the University of New South Wales, an international expert in philosophical inquiry for children, has written the pilot curriculum. Thirty-three volunteer ethics teachers were recruited from within each school community to run the Term 2 classes which are being attended by around 530 Years 5 and 6 students.

Weekly topics have been chosen by Professor Cam to raise issues that relate to the everyday life of students, as well as focusing on wider social and environmental concerns and traditional ethical subject matter. They include fairness, lying, ethical principles, graffiti, the treatment of animals, intervening in nature, virtues and vices, children’s rights and what it takes to live a good life.

The pilot is designed to engage students in ethical inquiry rather than to offer them ethical instruction. This means that the subject matter is being treated in such a way as to encourage students to explore ethical issues through dialogue and discussion. By discussing issues and ideas in small groups, as well as by contributing to class discussion, students are involved in building a collaborative and inquiring community.

Students are learning to take a thoughtful approach to moral decision-making, including being collaborative rather than combative, being prepared to listen to someone who takes a different point of view, being reasonable with others in dealing with differences and disagreements, and being prepared to acknowledge appropriate criteria in making and criticising ethical judgments.

The Centre acknowledges that ethics is already an important part of learning in NSW primary schools, with attention to its instruction in a number of areas in the curriculum. However, those children attending SRE are able to have this work extended. From a social justice perspective, it is unfair that some children are denied this opportunity for extension simply as a consequence of their parents’ choice not to have them attend SRE classes.

The NSW Department of Education (DET) has employed the services of an independent academic to evaluate the actual course itself, as well as the operational arrangements supporting it. The Centre is paying all costs relating to running the pilot from donated funds.

The ultimate purpose of its involvement is to offer a worthwhile and meaningful program to children who do not attend SRE classes in 1300 primary schools in NSW. Any material developed for an approved program of Special Ethics Education will be made publicly available to all, including faith groups, in the interests of the public good.