News - Primary Ethics

Q+A: Evan and Laura

As the handover period between Primary Ethics leaders Evan Hannah and Laura Ramos comes to a close, we gave them both a Q+A. So it’s farewell to Evan after over eight years in the role and welcome to Laura!

Evan Hannah

When did you start working for PE and what drew you to the job?I first ‘worked’ for Primary Ethics as a volunteer coordinator at my son’s school – Five Dock PS – for several years from 2013. I became CEO in July 2017. My motivation came from seeing how powerful the program was and wanting to do what I could to take it to more students in more schools.

How many locations have you worked in since you started? Five – with three of those being in the same multi-storey office block in Potts Point! We love where we are now (co-located in the city with The Ethics Centre), but my favourite was the wonderful purpose-built space at the Paddington offices of our great supporter Rob Keldoulis and his Vivcourt company. We were there for a happy 12 months before Covid pushed us to our home spaces!

How many staff were there when you started and how many now? We had six people (five full-time and one part-time) when I began. As I hand over to Laura we now have 17 staff (seven full-time and 10 part-time.) We’ve increased our staff to meet the growing demands of recruiting and supporting volunteers – and we’re busier than we’ve ever been.

You’ve done numerous media interviews over those years, which was your favourite? My favourite interview was with ABC Radio 702’s Sarah Macdonald in their Ultimo studios. Sarah was well across what Primary Ethics does, which made the interview relaxed, but what made it a favourite was when one of her regular contributors – film academic Bruce Isaacs – called in to talk about his own experience teaching ethics with us. It was such a positive and fun interview, which created some good listener interest in volunteering.

You will have heard many stories about the impact of ethics lessons. What stands out for you? Perhaps the most moving was when a parent told me his son had talked about how thinking things through as they did in ethics classes helped him deal with the grief of losing a grandparent. It’s both fulfilling and deeply sobering to hear how what we do can give students those tools.

What are you most satisfied with as you leave? I’ve had a bit of time to think about this and there are two examples out of many satisfying outcomes.

First was our successful multi-year campaign to allow parents to choose ethics at the same instant they were told about SRE (scripture) – Department procedures originally forced parents literally to opt out of scripture twice before they could be told ethics was available at their school. It was unfair and frankly unethical! The change meant information and choice is now equitable, opening the way to more student enrolments and more volunteers.

Second is how our volunteers responded during the long Covid lockout from schools, when our hard work to keep people engaged kept them keen and eager to return to schools when they re-opened. Our volunteers stayed with us during that difficult time, when many other not-for-profits had trouble keeping their volunteers on board.

I leave knowing we continue to have an amazing committed staff and a fantastic group of volunteers.

What’s in your future? I’m incapable of sitting still for long, so I’m already thinking about a couple of ways to keep busy. Leading such a great organisation as Primary Ethics has shown me the rich satisfaction you gain when you’re able to see effort at one end of our program turn into great outcomes at the other, so I’m certain I will seek to again be involved in an organisation or social enterprise that benefits the community.

And I’ll keep up with my cricket umpiring!

Laura Ramos

What drew you to this job? Knowing about the amazing work of the organisation and the opportunity to be part of the next chapter. I knew of ethics education from when my daughters were in primary school. My daughters (who are now at university) still have positive memories of ethics lessons.

You’re doing the ethics teacher training now, how are you finding it? I’m loving the training – and can confirm that it is thorough! It’s been really humbling to step into student-mode and realise how little I actually knew about what it takes to be a great teacher. There is so much to consider. Our trainer has been phenomenal; she’s got deep knowledge of teaching practice and is super methodical in pointing out where we’re demonstrating the right

teaching skills, when we need to finesse and when we need to try again. From seeing how training happens, I also have a far greater appreciation of the care that goes into every aspect of our program.

Is there anything surprising about it? I love that our training is set up to build teaching skills for adults who come from very different backgrounds. And yet, we’ll all be able to deliver ethics lessons now – and we’ll have access to our excellent Classroom Support resources to help us improve over time.

You’re originally from Puerto Rico and the US, have you come across anything like Primary Ethics over there? I wish! I’m pretty sure my parents would have loved having this for my sisters and me when we were growing up. I haven’t seen any program offer ethics education to students at the scale that we can, with the breadth and depth of topics and the rigorous approach to curriculum and pedagogy. Our program is pretty unique as far as I’m aware.

What have been the highlights of the job so far?

Being blown away by the rigour and excellence built into our program.
Realising how talented, committed and generally awesome every person in the staff team is.
Developing deep respect for every one of our volunteers, because they make the magic happen in schools.
Seeing our team work on setting up ethics classes for the 2026 year – exciting and a lot of work!

Tell us about your interest in AI. I’m curious and trying out different products with interest. A big part of my career was in tech-focused roles, so I guess I’ve seen many examples where IT solutions don’t meet the expectations of users and also instances where tech can be deployed to make things demonstrably better for people.

When it comes to AI, it’s fascinating to see new services that can help us solve everyday challenges much more quickly – but not always well. Nevertheless, I think there’s real value in learning how to use AI tools and also in staying informed about the potential pitfalls.

What’s the best story about ethics you’ve heard so far? I have a new one every day. Today it was a side conversation where we speculated what Socrates might have done with social media. Who says we can’t have fun with ethics?

A new leader for Primary Ethics

The appointment of a new Chief Operating Officer for 2026 has been announced by Roger Reidy, Chair of the Primary Ethics Board. “It gives me great pleasure to announce the appointment of Laura Ramos as Primary Ethics’ new Chief Operating Officer. Laura will commence with us on 12 January 2026”, Mr Reidy said.

Laura brings a wealth of not-for-profit executive leadership experience to the organisation, Mr Reidy said. She impressed the Board as the standout person in a recruitment cycle that produced many talented candidates. “Laura will bring leadership, experience, business acumen and people management skills to build on our existing legacy and make our company even stronger,” Mr Reidy said.

“Primary Ethics is continuing to operate in a period of transition towards a potential merger with our parent body, The Ethics Centre”, he continued. Laura will report to the Primary Ethics Board for the foreseeable future, as has retiring CEO Evan Hannah.

Laura’s expertise includes executive roles at the NSW Department of Education, NSW Department of Family and Community Services and Services Australia. In addition, she has led strategy as CEO, Schools Industry Partnership (a youth-focused not-for-profit in Western Sydney) and as CMO at Achieve Australia (a large NDIS provider).

She has also worked in the startup sector developing innovative services to support older women and persons living with cognitive impairment.

Laura’s academic background includes a Master of Business Administration (Executive) from the Australian Graduate School of Management and PhD research in Human Computer Interaction at the University of Technology Sydney.

Originally from Puerto Rico, Laura has called Sydney home since the early 2000s. “My two daughters have positive and lasting memories of the ethics lessons they took in primary school, supported by the dedicated volunteers and exceptional curriculum from Primary Ethics”, Laura said.

Eco-ethics at an urban farm

Primary Ethics has collaborated with Pocket City Farm, in inner-urban Camperdown, to create a half day of education about the ethics of sustainability. The pilot has run on two days this month, with visits from Y3 and Y4 students from Campsie Public School in Sydney’s south.

Sessions for groups of children were run by Farm educators and Primary Ethics teachers. The children learnt about forests, feeding weeds to the chooks and how the web of life keeps us all connected. Then in specially written ethics lessons, they explored protecting their environment.

Both days were very hot but the students were highly engaged – especially in the chookyard!

The Primary Ethics Volunteer of the Year for 2026

Primary Ethics is delighted to announce our Volunteer of the Year for 2026. The winner is Mike Godfrey, who has been a dedicated volunteer in our classroom support team for 12 years.

This award brings public recognition and appreciation for the often-unsung efforts of our wonderful volunteers, as well as substantial prize money to go to the recipient’s chosen school or schools.

The award honours a volunteer who has:

made a significant contribution to our mission to deliver ethics education to children so that they develop skills in ethical reasoning, critical thinking and respectful discussion
conducted themselves in a manner true to our values of respect, integrity, independence, excellence and teamwork.

With the award we acknowledge team players, good communicators, those who are supportive of other volunteers, reliable and committed to our program of ethics education.

Mike epitomises those qualities.

Mike is an invaluable member of the classroom support team. Across 12 years he has helped countless volunteers improve their skills. He also helps train new classroom support volunteers and is often called on for advice by the manager and members of the team alike.

Mike is always willing to call or visit teachers in need no matter where in Sydney they are located. With his warm, engaging style and depth of knowledge, he creates a supportive environment for teachers to discuss their challenges.

Mike was shortlisted for Volunteer of the Year in 2023 and 2024.

Volunteer feedback received after they had a discussion with Mike: ‘Dear Mike, I am pleased to say that by implementing the tips we discussed my next lesson was a hit … Needless to say I am so happy with how things went and would like to thank you for your kind support.’

A former CST manager says: “Mike has to be recognised for his high-quality service and care to ethics teachers over a significant length of time. He is the sort of person who always went the extra step to ensure teachers were supported and performing in accordance with Primary Ethics standards. Mike has also continued to provide this service with the many changes to curriculum, procedures and leadership of the team. He has played a key role as a senior CST member on many occasions, mentoring new members, living our company values and providing support wherever he was able. It is volunteers like Mike Godfrey who make us what we are at Primary Ethics.”

Congratulations Mike Godfrey!

Global Ethics Day – Volunteer spotlight on Vicky

It’s Global Ethics Day 2025 on Wednesday 15 October and to celebrate, we turn the spotlight onto some of our volunteers and hear about the impact of ethics education in their own lives.

This global celebration of the importance of ethical tools highlights ethics as a process for finding solutions in the collaborative and respectful manner often missing in today’s world. Ethics is not about getting everyone to agree on a single set of values. It’s about how we learn to live together, respect our differences and together face our major global challenges.

Vicky Votoupal, second year volunteering in northwest Sydney

Just over two years ago I saw an ad in my children’s school newsletter, calling out for Primary Ethics volunteer teachers. At the time I had been coaching/managing one of my children’s sports team and really enjoyed that opportunity to have a positive impact for children in our local community. I was also finishing up a contract work role that had been very meaningful and saw ethics as a chance to contribute in a way I might not have the scope for in a new work role. Having completed my training, my youngest child asked if I could teach their year group and I took that as an endorsement!

Come to our Global Ethics Day webinar on Wednesday 15 october 6-7pm

My first year was 2024, teaching Stage 1. The student group has mostly been the same from last year to this year, which is great. I’ll move up to Stage 2 with the same group next year.

At work I’m a procurement professional, so ethics ties in really nicely to that. Conduct, transparency and fairness are all essential in my line of work. It’s sometimes easier to talk ethics with children than with adults! I also like to be able to discuss current affairs with my children in an age-appropriate way and I think our Primary Ethics training really helps with that.

As for the students, I enjoy watching their minds open when they hear other opinions that may be different to their own. My favourite lessons are when, after a discussion, I ask if they think the actions of a person in the story are okay and they answer “A bit yes and a bit no”. They often start from a definite position because they have only considered one perspective, but most of the time at least some of the group will consider other points of view that have been raised throughout the discussion. I also think it’s important to point out to the children when there isn’t a consensus in the group. In real life, there is often no definitive yes or no yet we still need to find a pathway forward in those situations.

We hear in the media that we live in a more divided world than ever, which is a scary concept. I like to think that most people most of the time are simply trying their best to take on the challenges of daily life. If we can teach our children the concepts of fairness and equity, the ability to listen to others with curiosity and to keep an open mind, that will certainly make the world a better place.

Find out more about the 3 options for ethics volunteering

Inquiring Minds Spring 2025

Welcome to Inquiring Minds for spring 2025, where we bring you stories and reflections from our ethics classrooms and our volunteers, as well as recent Primary Ethics highlights.

In this issue we collected stories from our wonderful volunteers, such as:

we hear from two professionals who put their skills learnt as ethics volunteers into practice at work
you can watch the video of our panel discussion on critical thinking and empathy in the age of AI
and we share a letter from a supporter whose father asked for him to be removed from Religion lessons in 1965.
Plus many more stories!

To receive the next Inquiring Minds direct to your inbox, make sure to subscribe to our newsletters.

Join our volunteers in your local school

Integrating space exploration ethics into early-stage education

Inspired by our ethics curriculum, Winnie Tang, an aeronautical engineer and volunteer ethics teacher, has written a paper for the International Astronautical Congress, taking place in Sydney in October, on integrating the ethics of space exploration into science education for primary children.

Winnie is a systems engineer working at Thales, with a degree in Aerospace Engineering (Hons) and Physics from UNSW. These pictures of Winnie were taken at the Houston Space Centre and Frontiers of Flight Museum, USA.

How Winnie became an ethics volunteer
I have done volunteering and fundraising my whole life, I love giving back to the community and meeting people from all walks of life.

I was volunteering at a soup kitchen in Bondi and, in a particularly memorable moment, a group of young primary school girls came in to collect the cupcakes we’d baked for a single mother who was unable to cook for herself or her family while she was fighting cancer. They were such bright little kids, so full of energy, kindness and compassion. I was struck by how remarkable they were, showing such understanding and empathy about the situation at such a young age. That’s when I realised how I wanted to be part of children’s lives in a more meaningful way. Their ability to think, understand and empathise inspired me to be part of the process to support and nurture children as they grow.

When I started looking for more local opportunities (since Bondi was too far from my place), I came across Primary Ethics on Seek. I decided to volunteer at my local primary school in Hurstville, where I had also gone as a little girl, so it was nostalgic and exciting to return as a teacher! I had (and still have) an amazing experience teaching children. They’re cheeky, smart, creative and their answers often surprise me in the best way possible. I feel like I learn from them just as much as they learn from me.

Ethics in space
Ethics is integrated into my job every single day. Ethics establishes the principles for engineers and guides us in our professional conduct, prioritising the safety, health and welfare of the public, along with honesty, integrity and competence in our professional lives. Over the past few years, we’ve seen how fast space activity is accelerating. Commercial launches, lunar missions and talk of settlements in space are no longer science fiction. This raises major ethical questions that our community is currently talking about.

Winnie gives a lightning talk about her paper.

Young people are ready!
Teaching in primary classrooms convinced me that young people are ready to grapple with the ethical questions these developments raise, if we give them the right tools. Additionally, the IAC (International Astronautical Congress) will be held in Australia soon! This was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss and I decided to put together something on a subject I am passionate about. So I wrote Inspiring Ethical Minds: Integrating Space Exploration Ethics into Early-Stage Education. [The full paper was published after 3 October in the IAC 2025 conference proceedings. See below.]

What does my paper argue?
My paper proposes a practical case for introducing space ethics into Stage 3 (Years 5–6) classrooms. It focuses on three themes that are already shaping international policy and industry practice: planetary protection, resource allocation and human settlement (space colonisation). No one knows what the right answer is! We are currently still debating what kind of laws should exist in that domain. The growth of the industry opens up many ethical dilemmas that we are yet to catch up on.

So rather than telling students the 'right answer', the aim is to build reasoning, dialogue and civic awareness … skills they’ll need as future voters, scientists, engineers, leaders and aware citizens in general.

Read Winnie's paper in full

Why space ethics, why now?
Global frameworks like the Outer Space Treaty, ongoing UN COPUOS discussions and the Artemis Accords show that questions of contamination, resource equity and governance are being debated today. These aren’t just technical issues; they’re deeply ethical. Topics surrounding sustainability and AI are no longer just applicable to what we have on Earth, these concepts surround space too. Bringing space ethics into primary classrooms connects science learning with real-world decision-making and helps students see themselves as participants in those conversations.

How does it fit the curriculum?
The approach aligns with the NSW Stage 3 Science and Technology syllabus. They start learning about Earth and Space at this stage and it supports ACARA’s general capabilities (ethical understanding, critical and creative thinking, literacy, personal and social capability and intercultural understanding). In other words, I don’t want to add content on top, but rather use ethical inquiry as a lens while students study the solar system and technologies and design solutions.

What does it look like in class?
I have proposed classroom implementation following the proven Primary Ethics pedagogy. Each theme comes with a short, concrete scenario and structured questions. (This is further elaborated in the paper.) These activities are deliberately open-ended. Students learn how to think by giving reasons, listening respectfully, changing their minds when a better argument appears, rather than being led to a predetermined conclusion.

What have I found?
Embedding ethics in science units is feasible without cognitive overload; it naturally assesses syllabus outcomes (eg. comparing planetary features, applying design thinking, communicating conclusions) while developing ethical literacy. The approach is grounded in scientific content and age-appropriate dialogue, making it suitable for Stage 3 and adaptable to other stages.

What next?
Because both the research base and the ethical themes are international, the framework can be adapted beyond NSW and Australia. The next step is collaboration with curriculum specialists (Primary Ethics) and teachers to refine lessons, pilot them and share resources.

The goal is simple and ambitious: equip young people to reason well about the choices humanity faces as we become a spacefaring species.

Winnie Tang

Find out more about volunteering with us

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

Download this media release

Inquiring Minds March 2025

Welcome to Inquiring Minds for autumn 2025, where we bring you stories and reflections from our ethics classrooms, as well as recent Primary Ethics highlights.

In this issue we collected stories from many of our wonderful volunteers, such as:

Sinéad Fitzgerald, who works for Microsoft and thinks the skills we teach in ethics are ideal for preparing this generation to thrive in the age of AI.
While Karina Morgan finds her own life enhanced by five lessons she’s learnt as an ethics volunteer.
Five years ago, COVID launched Lalita Kanetkar on her journey to be an ethics teacher.
And Jim Neely teaches a remarkable five lessons a week in four different schools in the south of the state.

To receive the next Inquiring Minds, make sure to subscribe to our newsletters at the bottom of our home page.