A lot of parents has been requesting a special ethics education subject as an alternative for the special religious education. Now, schools may include a special ethics education option for students as a decision of the NSW Government due to the parents request. The implementation of this decision is still for the primary schools only. Social ethics education is a branch of philosophy that teaches students on making ethical decisions, actions, reflections and other frameworks.
Primary Ethics
Primary Ethics is a separate subject established by the St James Ethics Centre. This subject is responsible for all the courses that social ethics education delivers. This program also provides trained volunteers, instructors and other resources. This will be available in primary schools that includes ethics in their curriculum. These schools also have trainers, teachers and resources. These subjects, teachers, resources and trainers can also be found in the website created for this program. This program stretches in the primary years of the curriculum of the schools and other educational institutions. The teachers in the Primary Ethics program will assist the principals of these schools. They will assist by giving the principals referral for teachers who can teach the subjects included in the program. The coordinators of this program will also help the school in determining the demand for social ethics by he parents who wants an alternative subject for special religious education. The parents who want to learn how to teach this subject can also visit the website of Primary Ethics.
Cooperation
The principals should help the coordinators and trainers of the social ethics education in familiarizing the procedures and operation of their school. They should give these coordinators, teachers and trainers the names of the students in their school who has parents that want them to have social ethics education. They must also provide other information of the needs of these students when it comes to this program. The parents of the children will be informed if there are any subjects for social ethics education available in these schools. The principal will be the one to determine the composition of the classes of social ethics education after the parents are notified about the availability of the program.
Process
If the parents want their child to have the social ethics education instead of the special religious education, they must first, exempt their children from attending the special religious education. They must do this through the form of writing. After this application is written and passed, then the child will have his or her place in the social ethics education. The availability of the teachers and trainers for this program will also be considered in making any arrangements. The child who has already been exempted from special religious class will be prioritized.