Blog One

Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to a brand new school year. I hope everyone had a good holiday and are ready to get into a Humanities and Social Sciences full year. My name is Miss Pridmore-Johnston and I will be teaching this year’s students in year five. This blog is designed to guide parents, teachers and fellow educators in their future teaching and learning. To begin with this term, this topic will be looking at the purpose of the Safe Schools Program.

Civics and Citizenship Education

To start the new term with, students will be exploring the purpose of the Safe Schools Program, in alignment with the Australian Curriculum: Civics and Citizenship Education strand. The Australian curriculum explains Civic and Citizenship Education as the learning of the procedures of government and democracy, the laws that guide Australian society, the citizens (and citizenship), as well as the diversity and identity of individuals. The focus of this topic is the key values that underpin Australia’s democracy (ACHASSK115). This may be conducted through examining different viewpoints on events and issues.

Furthermore, the Australian curriculum succeeds the aims of the Melbourne Declaration. The Melbourne Declaration emphasises the need for young Australians to become the main focus of the education system, by improving the education system itself. The Melbourne Declaration on Education Goals therefore provides set goals to achieve this aim. The topic of controversial issues surrounding the Safe Schools Program was chosen based upon goal one of the Melbourne Declaration. This goal states that students have the right to attend schooling without the possibility of discrimination based upon different aspects of their identity, such as race, religion, values and sexual orientation. Halstead and Taylor explore the concept of values further. Halstead and Taylor (2000) imply that values in education advise and support behaviour and norms of individuals that may be deemed appropriate. These values can be shaped by a society or culture. 

Safe Schools Program

This topic explores the Safe Schools program. This program is aimed to further educate young students and Australians about the same-sex, and diverse gender communities. This program, when partnered with schools, promotes the rights and responsibilities of all students, and assist schools with the learning and supporting of the issue. The Foundation of Young Australians (2016) suggests that research has shown that possibly thousands of young Australians, or more, are discriminated against based upon their sexual orientation and identity.

 

Learning about this issue can occur through either the use of think-pair-share, or debating in small groups. Students can, therefore, decide which type of classroom discussion they would like to use, suitable to the given topic.  

Parents and guardians can become involved in their children’s learning through support and guidance.