Media Release

Primary Ethics to merge with The Ethics Centre

Primary Ethics, the not-for-profit organisation delivering Special Ethics Education in NSW public primary schools, will merge with its founding body, The Ethics Centre, in a strategic move to enhance ethics education opportunities.

Established by The Ethics Centre in 2010, Primary Ethics has equipped more than 250,000 students in over 650 NSW public schools with vital skills in critical thinking, ethical reasoning and respectful discussion, thanks to the dedication of thousands of trained volunteers.

For over three decades, The Ethics Centre has been a leader in developing innovative and impactful ethics education initiatives in Australian primary and high schools, including initiatives such as Moral Courage and Common Ground. The Centre is committed to developing programs that help young people navigate the ethical challenges they face now and in the future, guided by a Youth Advisory Council.

“This merger brings together two organisations that share a deep commitment to building ethical literacy in Australia,” said Dr Simon Longstaff AO, Chair of the Primary Ethics Board and Executive Director of The Ethics Centre. “We’re immensely proud of the impact Primary Ethics has made in NSW schools and this step allows us to explore future possibilities to build on that legacy.”

While the merger will bring opportunities for collaboration and growth, the day-to-day delivery of Primary Ethics classes in NSW public schools will remain unchanged. The quality of the curriculum, the role of volunteers and the integrity of donations to Primary Ethics will all be preserved.

Dr Longstaff said: “The ethics education program that our volunteers, supporters and families know and value will continue to operate as it does today. What’s changing is the opportunity to do more – to innovate, to reach new communities and to bring ethics education to a broader audience. This is about broadening horizons while staying true to our roots.”

Detailed planning for the merger is underway, with full implementation to follow stakeholder consultation.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Primary Ethics: Susan Ardill – communications@primaryethics.com.au M: 0478356969

The Ethics Centre: Kathleen Evesson – communications@ethics.org.au M: 0414171945

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Primary Ethics moves to The Ethics Centre Sydney office

Primary Ethics has moved and is now co-located within The Ethics Centre at its offices in Sydney. The move enables the two organisations to share office space and office resources, as well as to continue to collaborate on ethics education projects.

Evan Hannah, CEO of Primary Ethics, said: “We’re delighted to join The Ethics Centre in their Sydney CBD office, where we will continue our work to help students develop essential skills in critical thinking, ethical reasoning and respectful discussion.”

“We also thank our generous donor Rob Keldoulis for paying our rent for the past decade at our previous home in Potts Point.”

Dr Simon Longstaff AO, Executive Director of The Ethics Centre, said: “Since the establishment of Primary Ethics, 13 years ago, The Ethics Centre has continued to develop innovative ethics programs for school students, including the Moral Courage and Common Ground programs for high schoolers. This success, when coupled with Primary Ethics’ achievements, provides an excellent platform for an approach that combines our distinctive strengths when developing and executing impactful programs that strengthen ethical understanding in generations of Australian students.”

Primary Ethics: Susan Ardill, communications@primaryethics.com.au

The Ethics Centre: Kathleen Evesson, communications@ethics.org.au

Kinghorn Volunteers of the Year 2024

Primary Ethics is delighted to announce the winners of the Kinghorn Volunteers of the Year 2024.

Yes, that’s winners, plural. This was the first year in which nominations could be made for a team as well as an individual.

[Read more about the Award here.]

So the 2024 winners are Jim Neely, Regional Manager, ethics teacher and coordinator in the Queanbeyan region near Canberra, and the Northmead Public School ethics team from western Sydney. Jim, who coordinates three schools in Queanbeyan, receives $$3000 in prize money to distribute to the library services in his schools, while the Northmead team receives $1000.

The judging panel was Jill Kinghorn, Bruce Hogan (Primary Ethics Chair), Barb La Ganza (winner 2023), Kaye Remington (community volunteer), Martin Bregozzo (parent volunteer) and Evan Hannah (CEO).

Jim Neely is currently regional manager for five ethics programs in the Queanbeyan region, which deliver lessons to thousands of students every week. Currently, he is keeping 15 ethics teachers engaged and himself teaches four classes every week in three different schools.

Jim is dedicated to growing ethics education and works diligently to recruit via local events and media. Besides his five schools, he explores every option to launch new programs in other schools in the region.

From one of his team: “Jim strongly supports teachers at Queanbeyan schools and graciously relieves us when we can’t take our class or seeks out another teacher who can. Behind the scenes, I know he works with the Queanbeyan schools to encourage their participation and active support for ethics classes. My own class had only six students in Term 1 this year. Through his efforts with the school, I now have about 13. And a happy class it is!”

“I nominate Jim because I believe he epitomises the qualities and ethos that are so necessary in an organisation that relies on volunteers in order to be effective and respected. Any organisation would be lucky to have Jim. Primary Ethics is fortunate that we are where he chooses to commit his time and effort. I feel fortunate to volunteer in his area.”

northmead-team-2024 — The Northmead team 2024, f rom left: Veronica, Mallika, Susannah, coordinator Tania, Christina (back), Myat (front), Elaine. Missing: Abha.

Northmead Public School ethics team: This team volunteers in a large, diverse school in western Sydney and this nomination is particularly special this year – it is the school’s centenary year!

The team have worked really hard at building a very strong, steady and committed presence to ensure that ethics is now offered across all the school years, having started 10 years ago with only two classes. The reputation and popularity of the program has grown significantly and there are now over 200 students engaged in weekly lessons. This represents almost one third of the school population. The program is seen as an important part of school life and the team is well known and respected as very community-minded.

As well as the two winners, the judging panel gave a special commendation to Faith Weisbrot, who has been on every shortlist since the award commenced in 2022. Faith is a coordinator, teacher and relief teacher at schools in the eastern suburbs of Sydney.

Most weeks Faith teaches from three to five lessons, making sure no children are missing out. Faith has proven year on year what a great team leader she is. She is always available to her teams, mentoring the newer volunteers, making sure to catch up once a term, fostering a sense of team bonding. She organises Classroom Support workshops and observations where feasible.

Faith embodies the true spirit of a Primary Ethics volunteer, humble and hardworking.

‘My small way to make a big difference’

Thousands of volunteers teach Ethics every week – they get as much out of it as the children do.
Hear from six of them about why they do it and how you can become an volunteer ethics teacher too.

Watch it with captions:

Watch it without captions:

The joy and lessons in living an ethical life

Living an ethical life: Kirsten Downey writes about her experience as an ethics teacher in The Hills Independent magazine, January 2022.

Giving back: Lessons in living an ethical life

Published in GOALL magazine (Growing Older and Loving Life) by Central Coast Council, December 2021

By Coral Sturgess

I exchanged the shores of Botany Bay for those of Tuggerah Lakes back in the sixties and have lived in various parts of the Central Coast ever since – always near the water. I enjoy a cooling swim at the beach, a leisurely boat trip on the river, water-skiing with the grandkids or throwing sticks into the lake for the dog to retrieve… The water is a constant and will always be an important counter-balance to our work lives.

Another big part of my life on the Central Coast has been giving back to my local community. I volunteer as an ethics teacher at my local primary school, for a not-for-profit organisation called Primary Ethics. How can I express in mere words what this means to me? I’ve been teaching ethics for six years now and cannot imagine life without it.

When I retired from full time work, I had the chance to include volunteering in my life. I think the coming together of me and Primary Ethics was simply a ‘right time right place’ event that I took full advantage of – my granddaughter [seen in the photo with Coral] starting at her local school where ethics classes were offered and the need for people like me to step up and take on an ethics teacher role.

Volunteering as an ethics teacher connects me to my community – the place, the people and, in particular, the children, along with their teachers and the school community. Being able to engage with children is a privilege. It’s fun – I get to use my story-telling voice, to witness their reactions and observe their development over time. And yes, it comes with responsibilities – like keeping the lesson on track and making sure they’re safe in their learning. Some lessons definitely go better than others! We discuss topics like how to be a good friend, how we should treat other living things and how to disagree respectfully.

Volunteering with Primary Ethics also connects me with others I share common interests with – the other Primary Ethics volunteers who, like me, enjoy thinking and learning, care about children and care about the future. Volunteering as an ethics teacher provides the opportunity to support children to think deeply and well about ethical issues. Down the track, these very same children will be making decisions that will shape their world and ours. Do I think that’s important? Hell yes!

Will I continue with my mid-week 30-minute ethics lesson with a class of 11-year-olds? You bet! It’s my time in the week to slow down, listen well, think deeply and leave more hopeful about the world.

New bite-sized ethical dilemmas for children at home

April 2020: The not-for-profit organisation that runs ethics classes in NSW schools has developed a selection of ethics exercises, called Bites, for children to participate in at home. Each week in term 2 Primary Ethics will upload two new Bites for children; one designed for students from kindergarten to year 2, and another for those in years 3–6.

Primary Ethics CEO Evan Hannah says the lessons will help provide continuity for students who take ethics classes.

“Around 45,000 students in NSW have to miss out on their usual ethics classes for some weeks yet, so we’ve put together these lessons to help children to keep exercising their questioning skills until their usual volunteer teacher can join them in classes at school,” he said.

“These activities to help children with their thinking and reasoning have a role to play in helping them to process the current changes that we are all experiencing due to the impact of COVID 19,” Evan added.

They will also introduce a number of new students to the practical study of philosophical ethics.

“Primary Ethics Bites will be available for every child and their family, and like our school-based program, it will be free of charge. We hope the Bites provoke some deep thinking around the dinner table.”

Each Bite provides an ethical dilemma presented in audio or audio visual format along with a written version. Children are encouraged to read, watch or listen to the stories which provide a context for the dilemma, and ponder the questions provided. Siblings and others in the household are encouraged to participate, too.

“These fun Bites use engaging stories to encourage the use of questions and considering alternative views to help build skills in critical thinking and ethical reasoning. At schools we use a ‘community of inquiry’ approach and Bites are written to extend that into home-based lessons.”

“We’re grateful for the assistance of Primary Ethics Volunteers who, along with their children, have offered to voice the various parts in our stories and provide a range of diverse views for the discussion aspect of the recordings,” Evan said.

Conference 2019: Reflecting on past challenges, planning for the future

As the world grapples with major economic, political and environmental change, our hope for the future lay in the ability of our emerging leaders to make well-reasoned decisions on issues with far-reaching consequences. This was the message Dr Simon Longstaff of the Ethics Centre had for the 160 attendees at Primary Ethics State Conference held on Saturday October 26.

On a personal level, we all benefit from the ability to think critically and to reason. Education in ethics is crucial in helping us, regardless of our age or stage in life, be better equipped to tackle the various challenges we face.

Not-for-profit group Primary Ethics’ second state conference was generously hosted by Western Sydney University in Parramatta. Ethics volunteers from around the state converged to participate in a day of ideas about the work they are engaged in and the path that lay ahead.

Keynote speaker Verity Firth, head of UTS Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion and former Minister for Education, revisited the challenges leading up to achieving legislative change in 2010 that permitted ethics classes to be delivered in NSW public schools alongside special religious education classes. Almost 10 years later, Primary Ethics represents the largest ethics education movement in Australia.

So where to now? Renee Bilston from Farmhouse Montessori spoke about the benefits of ethics classes to her school under the recent partnership with Primary Ethics. Primary Ethics’ Elizabeth Allen spoke of the workplace volunteering project that has seen 14 UNSW staff trained and supported to deliver ethics classes in schools near the university’s Randwick campus, not simply to engage and contribute to local community, but as a mechanism for staff wellbeing and meaning.

Meaning was a theme developed by Mitra Gusheh, Executive Manager, Social Impact at UTS in her presentation of the study by Dr Gianni Zappalà on the outcomes of volunteering in the lives of Primary Ethics volunteers.

Curriculum author Dr Sue Knight and philosopher Kelby Mason discussed the philosophical framework behind the Primary Ethics curriculum, with Classroom Support Manager Coral Sturgess and Trainer Sophie Patterson exploring implementation of the program in the classroom and its underpinning of 21^st century skills.

The value of applied ethics was reflected upon in a lunchtime screening of The Final Quarter and a talk by 13-year-old Belle, who explained how ethics classes had helped her to have conversations with people with differing views on complex topics such as climate change.

In 2019, 45,000 children participated in weekly ethics classes in 500 schools across the state thanks to the contributions by donors and a team of 2800 trained volunteers.

Complaint demonstrates overall success of ethics

It takes a village to raise a child – and many of those who enrich our children’s lives do so as volunteers.

P&C committees, canteen, reading groups, garden club, uniform shop, sport coaches, Scouts, Guides, playgroups – volunteers make a huge contribution to children’s lives and are being celebrated in Volunteer of the Year Award ceremonies held this month around the state.

“Yes we are volunteers, but we take this role very seriously,” said Suzan Fayle, who has facilitated ethics classes for the past six years at Orange Grove Public School.

Ms Fayle is one of 2800 Primary Ethics volunteers who help 45,000 students each week to think for themselves and develop the skills to disagree respectfully with others. Lessons based on philosophical ethics give children skills in critical thinking and ethical reasoning.

The children who complained about the teacher at Dulwich Hill Public School (“Ethics teacher stood down for saying Stolen Generations due to bad parents”, Sydney Morning Herald, September 9) used just those skills and should be commended.

“I’ve taught all levels and cannot recall a time where the script has allowed me to voice my own opinion. Our training is very strong on the point that the lessons are written by highly experienced educators and the lesson works without any extraneous input – or leaving anything out – by teachers,” said Ms Fayle.

Primary Ethics emphasises in all aspects of our training for ethics volunteers that their role is to facilitate discussion using the approved curriculum without omission or addition. Our shorthand for this is ‘follow the script’.

Two weeks ago we immediately stood down the ethics teacher when we were notified he had breached our policy that ethics teachers must not introduce their own opinion into discussions in ethics classes.

The requirement for volunteers to not voice their own opinion is clearly and consistently communicated in:

candidate interviews
initial online training
two-day face-to-face training.
signing the terms of engagement and agreeing to the volunteer code of conduct
continuing professional development
supporting resources such as the Ethics Teacher Handbook and Guidelines for Volunteers
our classroom support team services which routinely observe ethics classes and provide mentoring

Many of our volunteers are retired Department of Education teachers or those in part time positions (full time employees are not permitted by the DoE to volunteer) or have experience in early childhood, tertiary or workplace education. But as the role is to facilitate discussion among the students, it differs from that of a traditional teacher who is seen by students as the main source of knowledge in the classroom. Objectivity is a key criteria when determining suitability of candidates for the ethics teacher role and volunteers from a range of backgrounds are a good fit.

This incident is a rare occurrence among the 8300 volunteers who have been trained by Primary Ethics since the program’s inception in 2011, and Primary Ethics has acted quickly and in accordance with our publicly available complaints policy.

The benefit of ethics classes, and the efforts of our many terrific volunteers, should not be reduced to this flawed example by those who see ethics classes as an inconvenience to their efforts to remove Special Religious Education from schools.

The fact that these students were able to identify and challenge the comment of their ethics teacher is a sign that the program is working.

Category: Media Release