Media Release - Primary Ethics

The Diversity Project for Primary Ethics

Primary Ethics has embarked on a project to ensure that our curriculum is inclusive of the diversity in our target audience – NSW school students.

In order to make sound, best-practice adjustments, we are undertaking a project with the following phases:

Phase 1 Research best-practice and scope the diversity review.
This phase is now complete.

Phase 2 Review lesson materials to gain a full understanding of current state of curriculum.
This phase is now underway and we’re asking for assistance.

Phase 3 Determine appropriate changes and update lesson materials.
This will commence when Phase 2 has been completed.

We want to incorporate best-practice inclusion and representation into our lessons and we plan to achieve this by modifying existing lessons where required, altering the characters and stories to provide positive diverse representation both within each topic and across the full curriculum.

A review of academic literature as part of Phase 1 shows that it is appropriate to consider Primary Ethics curriculum as children’s literature in the context of child development. It also shows the curriculum to be a legitimate and appropriate mechanism through which to represent diversity to primary school-aged children.The report states:

The positive outcomes of a diversified curriculum on child development are two-fold. First, children with minority identities can see themselves represented in their standard school day, which encourages a sense of belonging and improves both school performance and mental health (Montgomery 2001). Second, children with majority identity are presented with a representation of the world that reflects the diverse reality, which establishes a solid foundation for tolerance and respect of difference later in life (Montgomery 2001; Ramsey 2004).

Research shows the importance to child development of establishing a classroom setting that is welcoming of difference, and how this fosters an attitude of awareness and acceptance of diversity that extends to the entire community and lasts throughout the child’s life (Towbin et al. 2004; Montgomery 2001; Sciame-Giesecke et al. 2009; Ramsey 2008). Montgomery (2001) specifically cites cross-cultural literature and traditional stories that authentically depict diversity, along with co-operative learning groups and informal group discussions as important components that help children feel welcomed and valued. Marsh and Hart (2011) advocate the use of stories as a powerful tool in multicultural education, while Potter et al. (2009) tells us that children’s literature is not limited to formal books that are read to or by children, but rather encompasses a wide range of materials through which children glean a view of the world. Thus, it is appropriate for this review to consider the Primary Ethics curriculum as children’s’ literature in the context of child development and a legitimate and appropriate mechanism through which to represent diversity to primary school-aged children.¹

A diversified curriculum would also enhance the experience of the community of inquiry structure on which ethics classes are modelled. In ethics classes, students are encouraged to voice their opinions and ideas, listen to others, engage with opinions that may be different from their own, develop empathy and understanding and build on each others’ ideas. Optimising the characters, stories and scenarios for inclusion also helps to support participation in ethics classes by children from all backgrounds.

By diversifying the stories and characters that are used and presenting them in a way that positively reflects those being represented, Primary Ethics is also directly facilitating the objectives of several NSW Department of Education policies.

There are many compelling reasons for undertaking this project and we are indebted to Macquarie University PACE (Professional and Community Engagement) internship program participant Susan Barnes and supervisor Rebecca Sheehan, Program Director Gender Studies for their generous support of the research phase for which Susan was awarded the Judyth Sachs PACE Prize.

The dimensions of diversity identified for inclusion within the curriculum update are:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content
Caring unit structure
Disability
Gender
Race, religion and cultural background

The resistance of stereotypes and inclusion of intersectional representation, where characters experience more than one dimension of diversity, have been put forward as recommendations for implementation.

For now, we are seeking assistance from individuals with a few hours each week to volunteer to assist with the Diversity Review.

Content analysers will work from their own home, at their own pace, and in the timeslots that suit their personal circumstances.

Group meetings may be held, either face-to-face or online, for training or quality assurance purposes. Training and ongoing support will be provided. Read more about the role.

¹Curriculum Update Scope Report by Susan Barnes

Why pilot ethics classes for year 7?

Primary Ethics is the single approved provider of special education in ethics (SEE) to NSW Department of Education public schools. While our primary focus is primary schools, we’ve fielded many requests over the years from high school principals, parents and students themselves, who have sought a secular alternative to Special Religious Education that helps young people make sense of the world. In those early years, it was not possible for us to act on those requests. 2020 will mark the tenth anniversary of Primary Ethics and we’re pleased that next year we will be able to offer high school communities the opportunity to participate in the program, when we pilot ethics classes for year 7 students.

An ethics program for year 7 students will:

support students to develop skills in critical thinking, respectful discussion and ethical reasoning – skills which are transferable to the key learning areas of the secondary curriculum
support students in making the transition from primary to secondary school,
assist with development of interpersonal and decision-making skills as well as the consideration of ethical dilemmas that can loom large in the adolescence years
give choice to families by providing a high quality and valued secular alternative to SRE
promote lifelong interest and learning through providing a foundation in philosophical ethics that may assist students to undertake philosophy as a secondary elective or as part of a tertiary course of study

By undertaking a pilot program for year 7 students in a small number of willing high schools, we expect to gain important insights into the secondary school learning environment. In particular, the pilot’s purpose is to assess variations in delivery at secondary schools, such as length or frequency of lessons, and also to ensure the additional training ethics teachers will receive is best practice for managing a community of inquiry with students aged 12 and 13. The pilot will focus on Year 7, but once established, the secondary program will be made available for stage 4 (both years 7 and 8) students.

The pilot program, and any subsequent classes that are delivered after its review, would only be run in high schools where there is an existing weekly or fortnightly special religious education (SRE) program.

The pilot will only be run in schools where there is:

school support for SRE/SEE
family support for SRE/SEE
trained volunteers available to facilitate the discussion-based classes

Current legislation gives parents of all NSW public school students the right to seek ethics classes for their children, and it would be unjust to deny parents the choice of SEE while SRE is present. In high schools where religious education is woven into the fabric of the school community, we cannot sit on our hands waiting for a change in legislation that may never come. There is an opportunity to provide valuable education for students, and Primary Ethics is dedicated to supporting parent choice wherever possible.

If, during the course of the pilot program or subsequent delivery of ethics classes, there is legislative or policy change around the inclusion of SRE/SEE in the secondary curriculum, we would negotiate with individual schools and the Department of Education on an outcome that best meets the needs of the students and considers the needs of the school community and Primary Ethics volunteers.

We are currently seeking expressions of interest from high school staff, parents/carers of students who will be in year 7 in 2020 and existing or previous volunteer ethics teachers who are interested in participating in the year 7 pilot program.