A mathematics problem for the kiddies? As part of the continuing quest to bring values back into education, the Federal Department of Education has released a list of “core values” which will be taught in schools (and on whose teaching school funding will be conditional):
Care and compassion
Doing your best
Fair go
Freedom
Honesty and trustworthiness
Integrity
Respect
Responsibility
Understanding, tolerance, inclusion
Like Michelle Grattan, with the Medicare Safety Net being wound back, I have to wonder if breaking non-core promises is quite in the spirit of “honesty and trustworthiness, Integrity, and Responsibility”.
As well as interest rates, John Howard campaigned in the last election on trust. This could be the first (but probably not the last) L.A.W. moment of the fourth term.
Elsewhere: Rob Corr has more at his newly relocated and redesigned place.
The school values seem so bland to be meaningless. Wouldn’t any school teach these things anyway? Lots of sound and fury over nothing. Still, I guess it keeps the culture warriors satisfied.
The school values seem so bland to be meaningless. Wouldn’t any school teach these things anyway? Lots of sound and fury over nothing. Still, I guess it keeps the culture warriors satisfied.
I’m inclined to agree Kim. I think it’s probably an example of a list written by a committee.
This sort of reaction -
Brian Hill, emeritus professor of education at Murdoch University, said the Government’s list of values were mainly moral values and should be widened to include aesthetic, socio-cultural, economic, spiritual, interpersonal and political values. Teaching moral values in isolation “smacks of a desire to domesticate growing learners rather than to liberate them”, he said.
- would be one I’d agree with – but I think we need to know more about what exactly will go on in “values education”. The debate about this is probably a proxy for the broader culture wars around education.
I’m inclined to agree Kim. I think it’s probably an example of a list written by a committee.
This sort of reaction -
Brian Hill, emeritus professor of education at Murdoch University, said the Government’s list of values were mainly moral values and should be widened to include aesthetic, socio-cultural, economic, spiritual, interpersonal and political values. Teaching moral values in isolation “smacks of a desire to domesticate growing learners rather than to liberate them”, he said.
- would be one I’d agree with – but I think we need to know more about what exactly will go on in “values education”. The debate about this is probably a proxy for the broader culture wars around education.
The mediacre promises were a joke.
If people recall Abbott went over the top in the , was it 4 corners interview?, because of a report in the SMH which accurately forecast the blowout.
This was done on non.public service types.
Imagine what Treasury and Finance was telling the Government.
Deceitful and incompetent.
Well done lads.
The mediacre promises were a joke.
If people recall Abbott went over the top in the , was it 4 corners interview?, because of a report in the SMH which accurately forecast the blowout.
This was done on non.public service types.
Imagine what Treasury and Finance was telling the Government.
Deceitful and incompetent.
Well done lads.
The irony, Homer, is that raising the threshold won’t save them much. If they’re going to break promises, they may as well go the whole hog and scrap the lot. If you had a decent health policy framework, you wouldn’t need a safety net.
The irony, Homer, is that raising the threshold won’t save them much. If they’re going to break promises, they may as well go the whole hog and scrap the lot. If you had a decent health policy framework, you wouldn’t need a safety net.
the po,licy looked as though it was designed for it to be ripped off by specialists afterall you need a lot of visits to the GP to qualify.
Funny how most of the money went to people in the lectorates with the highest incomes
the po,licy looked as though it was designed for it to be ripped off by specialists afterall you need a lot of visits to the GP to qualify.
Funny how most of the money went to people in the lectorates with the highest incomes
You could have quite an enjoyable time analysing the performance of the federal government (indeed any long term government I spose – I doubt that Bob Carr’s thumb twiddlers would do much better) against these values.
As our pope-in-waiting (would that be a popette?) says, you’d expect that these values would be part of the moral framework taught in schools anyway. It looks like another bout of conspicuous indignation really, blow some whistles about values in education, then spend a wollop developing an educational policy that will change absolutely nothing.
You could have quite an enjoyable time analysing the performance of the federal government (indeed any long term government I spose – I doubt that Bob Carr’s thumb twiddlers would do much better) against these values.
As our pope-in-waiting (would that be a popette?) says, you’d expect that these values would be part of the moral framework taught in schools anyway. It looks like another bout of conspicuous indignation really, blow some whistles about values in education, then spend a wollop developing an educational policy that will change absolutely nothing.
And which of these values are actually “non-core” values, I wonder? Good luck to the government on accurately measuring these.
Pat Farmer should have stuck to what he is best at.
And which of these values are actually “non-core” values, I wonder? Good luck to the government on accurately measuring these.
Pat Farmer should have stuck to what he is best at.
I presume that nobody that successfully graduates from this education system steeped in the appropriate values will be eligible for employment in our major banks, major law firms, etc., etc.
On that note, what price ‘Ethics’ courses in University Business SChool syllabuses. Hello?
I presume that nobody that successfully graduates from this education system steeped in the appropriate values will be eligible for employment in our major banks, major law firms, etc., etc.
On that note, what price ‘Ethics’ courses in University Business SChool syllabuses. Hello?
“Care and compassion” is a non-core value, I’d guess.
“Care and compassion” is a non-core value, I’d guess.
Umm, if we’re going to start social engineering, then where the hell is ‘rationality and critical thinking’, the most important core value of all?
Umm, if we’re going to start social engineering, then where the hell is ‘rationality and critical thinking’, the most important core value of all?
Breaking this promise shows ‘responsibility’. And they will be hoping for ‘understanding’ and ‘tolerance’ from the electorate.
The list is pretty silly though. These things don’t need formal teaching in school, though they should be evident in the kind of behaviour encouraged by the school.
Breaking this promise shows ‘responsibility’. And they will be hoping for ‘understanding’ and ‘tolerance’ from the electorate.
The list is pretty silly though. These things don’t need formal teaching in school, though they should be evident in the kind of behaviour encouraged by the school.
Precisely, Jason.
Andrew – I think that’s what’s significant is that the list is not just a motherhood list but also supposed to be operationalised in a “values education” part of the curriculum. I agree that it would be better to inculcate these values as part of the overall approach of the school.
It’ll be interesting to see what the “values education” classes turn out looking like.
Precisely, Jason.
Andrew – I think that’s what’s significant is that the list is not just a motherhood list but also supposed to be operationalised in a “values education” part of the curriculum. I agree that it would be better to inculcate these values as part of the overall approach of the school.
It’ll be interesting to see what the “values education” classes turn out looking like.
“Rational and critical thinking” is a serious threat to the established social order, Jason, so we can’t have that!
“Rational and critical thinking” is a serious threat to the established social order, Jason, so we can’t have that!
And I don’t think Robert’s being at all flippant!
And I don’t think Robert’s being at all flippant!
I’m obtuse, but I can’t see what any of these ‘values’ has to do with education. It’s like the crap you see in the average public service department’s ‘mission statement’ (God help us).
I’m obtuse, but I can’t see what any of these ‘values’ has to do with education. It’s like the crap you see in the average public service department’s ‘mission statement’ (God help us).
“Rational and critical thinking” is a serious threat to the established social order, Jason, so we can?Äôt have that!
That’s why we have “anti-vilification” laws to suppress dissent.
“Rational and critical thinking” is a serious threat to the established social order, Jason, so we can?Äôt have that!
That’s why we have “anti-vilification” laws to suppress dissent.
The latest broken promise by Howard and Co doesn’t surprise me one bit. After all, they’ve got major form, Howard most of all. As for the values list, I think Howard has a real cheek to insist on them being taught in schools. On every count, this gov’t has been the number one offender.
The values themselves are okay, I suppose, with the exception of tolerance. I much prefer celebrating diversity. BUt as Rob said I think there things will be no more than clauses in a mission statement. Thank deity there’s no mention of ‘world class’. THat’s a term I despise almost as much as mission statement. And then there’s the terrible warping of the word ‘passion’ nowadays in managment/business speak. JUst check the job columns.
I:ve probably gone right off topic but after all these years I just can’t get exercised any more about yet ANOTHER Howard lie/broken promise. I just wish the Australain people wouldn;t keep ingoring/rewarding him for such mendacity.
The latest broken promise by Howard and Co doesn’t surprise me one bit. After all, they’ve got major form, Howard most of all. As for the values list, I think Howard has a real cheek to insist on them being taught in schools. On every count, this gov’t has been the number one offender.
The values themselves are okay, I suppose, with the exception of tolerance. I much prefer celebrating diversity. BUt as Rob said I think there things will be no more than clauses in a mission statement. Thank deity there’s no mention of ‘world class’. THat’s a term I despise almost as much as mission statement. And then there’s the terrible warping of the word ‘passion’ nowadays in managment/business speak. JUst check the job columns.
I:ve probably gone right off topic but after all these years I just can’t get exercised any more about yet ANOTHER Howard lie/broken promise. I just wish the Australain people wouldn;t keep ingoring/rewarding him for such mendacity.
Michael
The unpalatable (esp for me) fact is that the majority of the electorate are sufficiently comfortable with the Government’s part-time approach to honesty that they gave John Howard even more power to break promises and lie with impunity by giving him control of the Senate at the last election.
The lie/broken promise on the Medicare safety net would not be able to be done without Senate support and I doubt he would have got it from the current Senate – he certainly wouldn’t have been able to just assume Senate passge in the totally blase way that he has (an early indication that he is expecting full acquiesence from backbench Coalition Senators)
Michael
The unpalatable (esp for me) fact is that the majority of the electorate are sufficiently comfortable with the Government’s part-time approach to honesty that they gave John Howard even more power to break promises and lie with impunity by giving him control of the Senate at the last election.
The lie/broken promise on the Medicare safety net would not be able to be done without Senate support and I doubt he would have got it from the current Senate – he certainly wouldn’t have been able to just assume Senate passge in the totally blase way that he has (an early indication that he is expecting full acquiesence from backbench Coalition Senators)
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