Clearly schools share with parents and caregivers the responsibility of preparing young people for diverse and complex lives. The need for values ed. is not new – however, in a changing world it appears that the focus on the school’s role in values education has sharpened. There is evidence to suggest that it is an increasingly difficult world for young Australians. Social researchers have suggested that young Australians frequently think that cynicism, mistrust, impatience, materialism and detachment are the values most likely to ensure success. Values also play a broader role in their function as the ‘glue’ of our pluralistic and democratic civil society. Both as individuals and as citizens, young Australians need a clear and functional values framework. In these contexts, national policy makers have come to believe that schooling will increasingly need to develop students’ resilience, life management skills, capacity for reflection, self-confidence and capacity to participate as responsible and effective citizens. The provisions are deeply rooted in enduring values. Values education can ‘strengthen students’ self esteem, optimism and commitment to personal fulfilment, and help students exercise ethical judgement and social responsibility’. If education is about the development of the whole child, values education is at the heart of a school’s core business. The National Framework for Values Education in Australian Schools was developed in 2003. It put forward the 9 values for Australian schooling They are: • Care and Compassion • Doing Your Best • Fair Go • Freedom • Honesty and Trustworthiness • Integrity • Respect • Responsibility • Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion.
(the above was paraphrased from the Values Education for Australian Schooling website) Do you want more than an introduction to Values Education?
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