Values Education is not only a key component of Catholic schools but is now
advocated as an essential element in all Australian schools. While many critics may dispute
whether specific Values Education should be part of any school system or children should
simply be educated to explore and develop their own values (Halstead, 1996, p. 9), the
Australian Federal and State governments have decided that there is a need for specific
Values Education in schools in Australia: “Our world-class school education, based on
agreed national goals, will provide the foundation for young Australians’ intellectual,
physical, social, spiritual, moral and aesthetic development. It will give them the knowledge,
skill, attitudes and values relevant to present and emerging social, cultural and economic
needs in local, national and international settings” (Australia’s common and agreed national
goals for schooling in the 21st Century, 1999, also known as The Adelaide declaration,
referenced under this title).
These governments recognise the important role that teachers and schools have in the
teaching of values. The Australian Government Values Education programme essentially
began with a Values Education Study that was commissioned in 2002, which involved sixtynine
schools. A final report entitled Values Education study: Final report was published in
August 2003 and after subsequent consultation, created some guiding principles. “These
principles recognise that in all contexts, schools promote, foster and transmit values to all
students and that education is as much about building character as it is about equipping
students with specific skills. Guiding principles also recognise that schools are neither valuefree
nor value-neutral zones of social and educational engagement” (Paving the way to
Values Education, 2005, p. 13). This study recognised that effective Values Education should
help “students understand and be able to apply values such as care and compassion; doing your best; freedom; honesty and trustworthiness; integrity; respect; responsibility and
understanding, tolerance and inclusion” (Paving the way to Values Education, p. 13).
An interesting appendix to the study indicated, through an online survey, that parents
only placed family members above teachers and schools in a question of whose responsibility
it is to teach values to students (Appendix iii: Report of the Online Survey, in Values
Education study final report, p.219). This would only reinforce the Federal Government’s
view that the education of values is one of the key responsibilities of schools.
The Federal Government, in its 2004-2005 Budget, promised $29.7 million in funding
for Values Education initiatives between 2004-2008. This included values forums in schools,
a values-based “Education Good Practice Schools Project” and the development of
curriculum materials (Paving the way to Values Education). A Draft National Framework for
Values Education in Australian Schools evolved and The National Framework for Values
Education in Australian Schools was released in 2005. It states that “Values Education is any
explicit and/or implicit school-based activity to promote student understanding and
knowledge of values, and to inculcate the skills and dispositions of students so that they can
enact particular values as individuals and as members of the wider community” (Paving the
way to Values Education, 2005, p. 6). The Values for Australian schools kit was released
throughout Australia in mid-2006.
Specific Values for Australian Schools were published in poster form, (Values for
Australian Schooling, Appendix 5) and include the values: showing care and compassion,
respect, honesty and trustworthiness, understanding, tolerance and inclusion. These values
also encourage students to do their best, to treat others fairly, be responsible for their actions,
follow principles of moral and ethical conduct and to stand up for the rights of others (Paving
the way to Values Education, 2005, p. 2). The Australian Government Values Education
programme also links to other Australian Government education initiatives (Paving the way to Values Education, p. 15), which support the values-education initiatives. These initiatives
include a Civics and Citizenship programme (http://www.civicsand citizenship.edu.au/), The
National School Drug Education Strategy (www.dest.gov.au/schools/drugeducation/
NSDES.htm), The National Safe Schools Framework (http://www.dest.gov.au/schools/
publications/subject_curriculum. htm) and the Mindmatters programme (http://www.
online.curriculum.edu.au/).
There are also commercial education teaching programmes, which promote the
importance of students having core values. One that is currently in use in many Tasmanian
Catholic schools is the Bounceback programme (McGrath & Noble, 2003). Units in this
programme include one specifically based on core values including honesty, fairness,
responsibility, loyalty, supportiveness, being caring, cooperation, understanding others,
respectfulness and friendliness. There are also units on showing courage, being resilient,
being positive in difficult times, dealing with one’s own and others emotions, relationship
skills, importance of humour, dealing with bullying and how to achieve success.
The Tasmanian Government has also encouraged the importance of Values Education
through the Essential Learnings Framework (2002), which is the central framework being
used in current curriculum development in both Government and Non-Government schools in
Tasmania. This framework is guided by a set of core values, which are:
• Connectedness
• Resilience
• Achievement
• Creativity
• Integrity
• Responsibility
• Equity (Essential Learnings: Framework 1, 2002, p. 9). These Essential Learnings values link with the National Values for Australian Schools in
many areas. Kiernan (2005) has outlined these connections in a grid plan (Appendix 6)
The Essential Learning Framework is based on five areas, which are:
• Thinking
• Communicating
• Personal Futures
• Social Responsibility
• World Futures.
Two of these areas are particularly relevant to Values Education. “Personal Futures”
consists of four key elements, which are: building and maintaining identity and relationships,
maintaining wellbeing, being ethical, and creating and pursuing goals. “Social
Responsibility” consists of four key elements, which are: building social capital, valuing
diversity, acting democratically, and understanding the past and creating preferred futures.
(Essential Learnings: Framework 1, 2002, pp. 24-33). These match with the values
recognised in the National Values for Australian Schools. Some of the National Values for
Australian Schools correspond with the Essential Learnings area of “World Futures”. World
futures elements are: investigating the natural and constructed world, understanding systems,
designing and evaluating technological solutions, and creating sustainable futures (Essential
Learnings: Framework 1, pp. 24-33).
advocated as an essential element in all Australian schools. While many critics may dispute
whether specific Values Education should be part of any school system or children should
simply be educated to explore and develop their own values (Halstead, 1996, p. 9), the
Australian Federal and State governments have decided that there is a need for specific
Values Education in schools in Australia: “Our world-class school education, based on
agreed national goals, will provide the foundation for young Australians’ intellectual,
physical, social, spiritual, moral and aesthetic development. It will give them the knowledge,
skill, attitudes and values relevant to present and emerging social, cultural and economic
needs in local, national and international settings” (Australia’s common and agreed national
goals for schooling in the 21st Century, 1999, also known as The Adelaide declaration,
referenced under this title).
These governments recognise the important role that teachers and schools have in the
teaching of values. The Australian Government Values Education programme essentially
began with a Values Education Study that was commissioned in 2002, which involved sixtynine
schools. A final report entitled Values Education study: Final report was published in
August 2003 and after subsequent consultation, created some guiding principles. “These
principles recognise that in all contexts, schools promote, foster and transmit values to all
students and that education is as much about building character as it is about equipping
students with specific skills. Guiding principles also recognise that schools are neither valuefree
nor value-neutral zones of social and educational engagement” (Paving the way to
Values Education, 2005, p. 13). This study recognised that effective Values Education should
help “students understand and be able to apply values such as care and compassion; doing your best; freedom; honesty and trustworthiness; integrity; respect; responsibility and
understanding, tolerance and inclusion” (Paving the way to Values Education, p. 13).
An interesting appendix to the study indicated, through an online survey, that parents
only placed family members above teachers and schools in a question of whose responsibility
it is to teach values to students (Appendix iii: Report of the Online Survey, in Values
Education study final report, p.219). This would only reinforce the Federal Government’s
view that the education of values is one of the key responsibilities of schools.
The Federal Government, in its 2004-2005 Budget, promised $29.7 million in funding
for Values Education initiatives between 2004-2008. This included values forums in schools,
a values-based “Education Good Practice Schools Project” and the development of
curriculum materials (Paving the way to Values Education). A Draft National Framework for
Values Education in Australian Schools evolved and The National Framework for Values
Education in Australian Schools was released in 2005. It states that “Values Education is any
explicit and/or implicit school-based activity to promote student understanding and
knowledge of values, and to inculcate the skills and dispositions of students so that they can
enact particular values as individuals and as members of the wider community” (Paving the
way to Values Education, 2005, p. 6). The Values for Australian schools kit was released
throughout Australia in mid-2006.
Specific Values for Australian Schools were published in poster form, (Values for
Australian Schooling, Appendix 5) and include the values: showing care and compassion,
respect, honesty and trustworthiness, understanding, tolerance and inclusion. These values
also encourage students to do their best, to treat others fairly, be responsible for their actions,
follow principles of moral and ethical conduct and to stand up for the rights of others (Paving
the way to Values Education, 2005, p. 2). The Australian Government Values Education
programme also links to other Australian Government education initiatives (Paving the way to Values Education, p. 15), which support the values-education initiatives. These initiatives
include a Civics and Citizenship programme (http://www.civicsand citizenship.edu.au/), The
National School Drug Education Strategy (www.dest.gov.au/schools/drugeducation/
NSDES.htm), The National Safe Schools Framework (http://www.dest.gov.au/schools/
publications/subject_curriculum. htm) and the Mindmatters programme (http://www.
online.curriculum.edu.au/).
There are also commercial education teaching programmes, which promote the
importance of students having core values. One that is currently in use in many Tasmanian
Catholic schools is the Bounceback programme (McGrath & Noble, 2003). Units in this
programme include one specifically based on core values including honesty, fairness,
responsibility, loyalty, supportiveness, being caring, cooperation, understanding others,
respectfulness and friendliness. There are also units on showing courage, being resilient,
being positive in difficult times, dealing with one’s own and others emotions, relationship
skills, importance of humour, dealing with bullying and how to achieve success.
The Tasmanian Government has also encouraged the importance of Values Education
through the Essential Learnings Framework (2002), which is the central framework being
used in current curriculum development in both Government and Non-Government schools in
Tasmania. This framework is guided by a set of core values, which are:
• Connectedness
• Resilience
• Achievement
• Creativity
• Integrity
• Responsibility
• Equity (Essential Learnings: Framework 1, 2002, p. 9). These Essential Learnings values link with the National Values for Australian Schools in
many areas. Kiernan (2005) has outlined these connections in a grid plan (Appendix 6)
The Essential Learning Framework is based on five areas, which are:
• Thinking
• Communicating
• Personal Futures
• Social Responsibility
• World Futures.
Two of these areas are particularly relevant to Values Education. “Personal Futures”
consists of four key elements, which are: building and maintaining identity and relationships,
maintaining wellbeing, being ethical, and creating and pursuing goals. “Social
Responsibility” consists of four key elements, which are: building social capital, valuing
diversity, acting democratically, and understanding the past and creating preferred futures.
(Essential Learnings: Framework 1, 2002, pp. 24-33). These match with the values
recognised in the National Values for Australian Schools. Some of the National Values for
Australian Schools correspond with the Essential Learnings area of “World Futures”. World
futures elements are: investigating the natural and constructed world, understanding systems,
designing and evaluating technological solutions, and creating sustainable futures (Essential
Learnings: Framework 1, pp. 24-33).
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