New South Wales primary ethics enrollment up 20% from 5 years ago, ethics teacher shortage

Kevin Farmer is a veteran elementary school ethics teacher who has been teaching weekly classes at Crown Street Public for many years. But when Inner got the chance to run an after-school ethics club at Sydney High School, he jumped at it.

“In high school classes, philosophical questions and conversations go deeper, talking about human rights, marriage equality, peer pressure and friendship,” said one of about 2,000 volunteer ethics teachers in New South Wales. Farmer said. “In high school the numbers drop, but they’re there because they want to be. They’re so enthusiastic.”

About 43,000 elementary school students take ethics in 483 public schools, or just under a quarter, in the state’s public schools, according to Primary Ethics, a nonprofit that has run classes for the past decade.

The organization’s pilot program to extend classes to secondary school is still in its infancy. A handful of schools, including Inner Sydney, Fort Street High, James Ruth Agricultural High and Katoomba High, are participating in the organization’s pilot operation.

Evan Hannah, Chief Executive Officer of Primary Ethics, said enrollment in primary education ethics is up 20% from five years ago, but the program is particularly useful in recruiting volunteer teachers in rural and rural areas. He said that he is dealing with a big hurdle to do.

“Parramatta, Canterbury-Bankstown and Georges River primary schools have seen the biggest growth over the past few years, with more schools in those areas enrolling,” he said.

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“We are moving across the Inner West and the lower North Shore, but we have serious challenges after COVID-19 has wreaked havoc. We rely solely on volunteers.75% [of whom are] Schools cannot run classes without parents. “

Data show fewer schools have ethics classes in areas of Sydney where parents are more likely to work together, work far from home and English is more likely to be a second language.