Ethics teachers in high demand as more parents opt out of religious studies in public schools

NSW public primary schools are scrambling to hire volunteer teachers to run ethics classes as demand for the secular alternative to religious scripture studies soars.

NSW public primary schools are scrambling to hire volunteer teachers for ethics classes to cater to soaring demand from parents for the secular ­alternative to religious studies.

Primary Ethics, a company that trains volunteer teachers and develops ethics classes, has had inquiries from about 80 schools about setting up the program this year.

Schools are scrambling to find enough volunteer ethics teachers.

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“These have been across the state, from Albury, Wellington, Young and up (on) the Queensland border, as well as a number of suburban areas near Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong,” spokeswoman Heidi McElnea said.

About 725 people have ­applied to teach ethics since December — a 50 per cent ­increase on the same period a year ago.

The huge spike comes after new Education Department procedures were introduced requiring schools to inform parents they could enrol their child in ethics instead of Special Religious Education (SRE).

Prior to the new rules, ethics classes conducted by trained volunteers were only offered to children whose parents had specifically opted out of SRE twice.

Demand for ethics classes has been so strong that one Central Coast school sent a ­letter home to parents saying there were not enough volunteers to teach every year group.

The letter to Bateau Bay Public School parents, seen by The Daily Telegraph, said a “short supply” of teachers meant only Year 3 students would be able to study ethics.

The ethics curriculum for students aged 10-12 is currently focused on the ethics of voting, with Year 5 and 6 students participating in student council elections and tackling issues such as voting for someone who is a friend and the impact of policies on others.

The ethics curriculum is written by Dr Sue Knight and reviewed by a panel, including philosopher Kelby Mason and the Ethics Centre’s Dr Simon Longstaff. Each of the 245 lessons are also approved by the department for suitability for the target age group.

Karla Buckley, who teaches ethics at to Year 3 students at Connells Point Public School, said the class gives children an opportunity to share their ideas and listen to others’.

“It really makes them think, and realise there are other ways to see the world other than their own. It’s an important life lesson,” he said.