@Home - Primary Ethics

Ethics @Home bulletin for parents Term 1 2023

Our @Home bulletin aims to let you know what your children are discussing in their ethics lessons this term. We hope they’re talking about it with you at home too!

Subscribe here to our @Home email bulletin.

Schools can take weeks to get organised and start their ethics programs for the year, so some won’t have commenced yet. However, we expect all schools which have enough volunteers to provide ethics to be underway by mid-March. Please contact us if you have any questions about your child and ethics.

Ethics Term 1 2023

Kindergarten: Questions and what is okay

The first topic of the year introduces students to asking questions. They think about and discuss: Why do we ask questions? Why might someone feel reluctant to ask questions? Is it okay to say that someone’s answer is silly or bad?

Later in the year, kindy students will consider topics on sharing, including others and causing harm without meaning to.

Stage 1 – Years 1 & 2: Empathy
The first topic of the year invites students to consider the importance of empathy. Students think about and discuss: Is it important to reflect on how others are feeling? How do you work out how someone else might be feeling? And is it possible to imagine how someone else feels if you’ve never been in a similar situation?

Later in the year, Stage 1 students will consider whether being fair means giving everyone an equal share and whether it’s okay to treat people differently because they are your friends.

Stage 2 – Years 3 & 4: Being greedy
The first topic of the year invites students to consider being greedy. Students think about and discuss: What does it mean to be greedy? Is there anything wrong with wanting more money or toys than you can use? Is it okay to want to be the richest person in the world?

Later in the year, Stage 2 students will consider whether lying is always wrong and whether it’s okay for advertisers to use tricks to persuade people to buy their products.

Stage 3 – Years 5 & 6: Voting
The first topic of the year invites students to consider voting. Students think about and discuss: Is it okay to vote for someone just because they’re your friend? How should we balance self-interest and the needs of others when choosing who to vote for? For example, is it okay to vote for someone whose policies would benefit me but are not in the best interests of everyone? Should voting be compulsory or voluntary?

Later in the year, Stage 3 students will consider whether punishment is necessary to stop people from doing wrong and whether it’s okay to be vain.

Stage 4 – Years 7 & 8: You’re not the boss of me
The first topic of the year invites students to consider how much control they should have over their own lives. Students think about and discuss: What right do parents, adults and governments have to limit teenagers’ freedoms? Why do we have age limits in Australia? And is it okay to stop people from doing things because they might get hurt?

Later in the year, Stage 4 students will consider whether hoarding food and medical supplies is wrong and what makes a good apology.

@Home bulletin for parents Term 4 2022

Our @Home bulletin aims to let you know what your children are discussing in their ethics lessons this term. We hope they’re talking about it with you at home too!

You can subscribe to our @Home email bulletin here.

Below we outline the topics that classes would be up to if they started at the beginning of the year. However, not every school started their ethics program then – some started in Term 2, some in Term 3, even some this term!

So if your child says they aren’t talking about the topics below, please take a look for what they are discussing in the Curriculum section of our website.

What they’re talking about in ethics – Term 4

Here’s a brief look at what your children are exploring in their ethics lessons this term.

Kindergarten: Owning up
Is it important to own up to a mistake if we do something wrong – like breaking a window? Why can it be difficult to own up? Why might we feel reluctant to own up? Can avoiding owning up mean we lose an opportunity to reflect and learn – and does that matter?

Stage 1 – Years 1 & 2: Ownership
What sorts of things can we own? Can we own a shell we find on the beach or a sandcastle? Can we own a picture of someone else? Can we own animals – like pets and wild lizards? If we make something, do we own it? And what about the smell of food – can we own that too?

Stage 2 – Years 3 & 4: Breaking a promise
What is a promise – and is it different from simply saying you’ll do something? Is it ever okay to break a promise? How important is trust in friendships?

Stage 3 – Years 5 & 6: Are some things just wrong?
How important is it to have consistent moral values? Are some things just wrong (regardless of whether some cultures think they’re okay)? If so, how can we tell what’s right or wrong in a way that’s independent of culture?

Stage 4 – Years 7 & 8: From moon trash to migrant horses
Is it always wrong to litter? What about leaving rubbish on the moon – is there anything wrong with that? Should we always try to remove introduced species like wild horses? Does it matter how long ago they were introduced? What does it mean to be a custodian of the land – and is it compatible with owning land?