An overview of some of the education policies operating in the Australian school system and the ethical dilemmas that arise from these.

1. S
Ethical Dilemmas in the
Australian Context
Dr Rachel Buchanan
Rachel.Buchanan@newcastle.edu.au

2. S Australian policy context for teacher professionalism: Rights,
Standards and Codes
S Socially engaged professional practice
S Ethical conflicts in Teaching
S Making systemic ethical decisions
S Ethical diversity and teacher moral agency
S Being philosophical about Education
S Ethical Dilemmas in the Australian context
EDUC4195 Rachel Buchanan2

3. Classroom
Whole School
Community
Government Framework Policy
Global Context

4. Web of Teaching
Teacher
Legal
Epistemic
Moral/Ethical
SociologicalPedagogical
Policy
Community

5. Variety of Educational Aims in brief…
S Guide into objective knowledge via reason
(Plato)
S Lead towards self-cultivation (Confucius)
S Habituation into a virtuous life (Aristotle)
S Build a relationship with students (Buber)
S Inspire critical consciousness against
oppressed situations (Freire)
(see: Cahn, 2009, Philosophy of Education)

6. Variety of Educational Aims in brief…
S Social re-construction towards democracy
(Dewey)
S Develop compassionate, happy people (Noddings)
S Autonomy development (bildung) (Kant)
S Sustaining democracy via liberal education (Mill)
S Balanced growth of individuality (Whitehead)

7. Australian Policy Context
State level
S NSW IT – Professional Teaching Standards
S DOCS
S DET New super department NSW DEC
Federal Level
S Melbourne Declaration (Current)
S National Curriculum (still being implemented)
S Education Revolution
 Digital Education Revolution (funding ceased 2013)
EDUC4195 Rachel Buchanan7

8. At the State levelhttp://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/maralynparker/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/hidden_report_will_be_a_problem_for_the_new_su
per_education_department1/
The new super Department of Education and Communities planned by premier Barry
O’Farrell has a problem before it is even established. It will have to deal with a report
posted quietly on the NSW education department’s website in mid March, Labor’s
dying days.
The report is political dynamite and will undoubtedly make the new government’s job of
looking after its public schools much more difficult than it would have been.
The report, NSW Department of Education and Training Discussion Paper: Australian
School Funding Arrangements reveals the department has done extensive secret
research on student progress in NSW public schools and has come up with some
very confronting findings.
The most devastating is that the socio-economic status of a whole school has a profound
effect on all children who attend that school whatever their individual family
background.
In stark terms it means high performing children can be dragged down by a
disadvantaged school and disadvantaged children can be pulled up by a high
achieving school.
The OECD has reported on similar broad conclusions in the past, however this research
is very specific. These are our children and our schools.
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9. At the Federal Level...
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership
(AITSL)
S rigorous national professional standards
S fostering and driving high quality professional development for
teachers and school leaders
S working collaboratively across jurisdictions and engaging with key
professional bodies.
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA)
S NAPLAN ~ National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy
S My School Website
S National Curriculum Dr Rachel Buchanan EDUC1008

10. What is the current political
context?
The Education Revolution
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/txt/s2641523.htm

11. The Education Revolution
A New Approach to Education and Training
A Transformation of Teaching and Learning in Schools
The Australian Government’s commitment is to:
S Improve literacy and numeracy skills;
S Raise individual student achievement and life school retention;
S Work with disadvantaged school communities and provide resources for well-
targeted, evidenced-based strategies to improve outcomes for students;
S Introduce more transparent and robust reporting of outcomes at the student and
school levels;
S Build a modern, high quality education infrastructure; and
S Support parents to meet the costs of education for their children.
The Education Revolution is schools presents a challenging and ambitious agenda, but
one that is achievable.

12. Participation and Productivity
Early Childhood Development
S That Children are born healthy and have access to the
support, care and education throughout early childhood
that equips them for life and learning, delivered in a way
that actively engages parents, and meets the workforce
participation needs of parents
Schooling
S That all Australians school students acquire the
knowledge and skills to participate effectively in society
and employment in a globalised economy

13. Skills and Workforce Development
S All working aged Australians have the opportunity to develop the skills
and qualifications needed, including through a responsive training
system, to enable them to be effective participants in and contributes to
the modern labour market
S Individuals are assisted to overcome barriers to education, training and
employment, and are motivated to acquire and utilise new skills
S Australian industry and business develop, harness and utilise the skills
and abilities of the workforce
Early childhood, education, skills, and workforce development
policies could boost participation by 0.7 percentage points,
and productivity by up to 1.2 percent by 2030. This
corresponds to an increase in GDP of around 2.2 per cent, or
around $25 billion in today’s dollars.

14. The Education Revolution
Schooling
S Focusing on the most fundamental skills –literacy and numeracy
S World-class teaching and learning through a Digital Education Revolution
S Driving higher standards through a national curriculum
S Strengthening regional connections – a National Asian Languages and Studies
in Schools Programs
S Improving Year 12 attainment rates
S Capital infrastructure (BER)
S Support Working families
S Overcoming Individual Disadvantage
 Halving the Gap (ATSI)
 Students on the Autism Spectrum
 Support to newly arrived school students (ESL-NAP)

15. Digital Education Revolution
This 2.2 billion dollar commitment has the aim of bringing the
ratio of computers to students in years nine to twelve to 1:1 by
the end of 2011 (DEEWR, 2009a).
The DER is a commitment that will enable schools to better
access the benefits of technologies for their students.
EDUC4195 Rachel Buchanan15

16. Political Framework:
The Melbourne Declaration MCEETYA,
2008
See blackboard

17. ACARA
Australian
Curriculum’
Assessment
Reporting
Authority
http://www.acara.edu.au/default.as
p

18. Curriculum
S National Curriculum - Being released in three phrases
S First stage: Maths, English, Science, History
S Second Stage - Geography, Languages, and the Arts,
S Third Stage - under consultation about subject areas
including design and technology, health and physical
education, ICT, economics, business and civics and
citizenship

19. Curriculum (cont)
“JULIA GILLARD: And I'm sorry that under that Howard Liberal
Government you were subject to that post-modern
curriculum, but what I can absolutely say to you is our new
national curriculum being delivered by our new National
Curriculum Board won't have anything post-modern about
it.” (Q & A, August 6th 2009)
Michael Apple – no such thing as a value – neutral or ideology
free curriculum. Curriculum represents “Official Knowledge”.
So which subject areas are valued in the National Curriculum?

20. Assessment
NAPLAN
National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy
http://www.naplan.edu.au/reports/nlna_2010_full_video.html
OECD Nations, PISA results : High Quality /Low Equity Education System
Pedagogical Implications of the NAPLAN

21. Reporting
My School Website: http://acara.cdn.on.net/player/player.html
Pedagogical implications of the way in which NAPLAN data is being reported?

22. What is your philosophy of
education?
What are the contemporary
issues in your teaching
area?
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