In New South Wales public schools there is a period of time set aside each week for teaching ethics or scripture. Following legislative changes in 2010, families can now choose for their child to go to ethics classes as an alternative to spending that time in supervised care or scripture classes.
Scripture and Ethics lessons are held each Wednesday.
Options for Scripture classes include Anglican, Catholic, Jewish and Non-Scripture.
For families that choose Non-Scripture during this time, Ethics can be nominated.
Places in Ethics classes are dependent on parent volunteers and available spaces. Your child’s Scripture Class will be confirmed with you early each year.
Primary Ethics’ classes support children to develop their moral reasoning capabilities. The focus is on skills development rather than the promotion of any particular view.
The focus is for children to develop the skills to identify ethical issues, a willingness to engage in respectful discussion with their families and friends about ethical issues and the ability to think widely and critically in exploring reasons and developing arguments.
Students are encouraged and supported to make their own judgments about whether something is right or wrong, good or bad and to explain why, using evidence and reason. All Primary Ethics classes are based on this approach as distinct from blind appeal to authority or moral relativist approaches.
Teachers are trained not to teach the students their own personal ethics and values.
The Ethics P&C Liason parent this year is Mark Hoppe (father of Mollie & Scout ). If you would like to consider training to become an Ethics teacher to support the Ethics Program at CPS please contact him at Mark.HOPPE@atradius.com or visit the Primary Ethics website.