*I am DYING to see what sort of syllabus they come up with and what sort of buffoons they get to teach it.*

Now that IS being cynical!

Sounds like the pilot has already been developed, with some reasonably
qualified people involved. No point knocking it, until the full
details are out.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/almighty-row-over-ethics-class-in-schools-20090925-g6a0.html

After all, the Catholic nuns used to teach me that if I was not
a good 5 year old, I would burn in hell forever. It can't get much
worse then that.

Steven,
Trolling isn't normally your thing. What's with the idiotic generalised extremes in lieu some lateral thinking? As stated the level of the topic would match the year level.

TRTL

Of course it could be formulated/curricula concepts. Every topic has multiple aspects. The teacher has a concept to teach (according to the year level) then selects a topic from the current events and then directs the efforts of the class.

A reasonable question was raised i.m.o?

" ... Whose Ethics? ... "

Well, why not Australian ethics?

..

I personally favor composite learning modules. So for argument sake, at a time when I used to jog, I did so in a green, nature rich environment, whilst studying foreign language vocab via audio, encoded with brain frequency following response beat technologies for an enhanced experience, though would pause occasionally to watch and listen to the the galahs sicking up and feeding their babies.

..

The legislative enshrinement of Australian individual rights, ethics, morality and philosophy juxtaposed against the international system and of course, something of the criminal code, the history of the consequences when group and individual behavior departs from same, and various contributions to the future development of same from a large cross section of special interest groups.

Of course, these are all large areas in and of themselves but I am quietly confident that highly skilled Professors could break it all down into "simple, pertinent, intellectually digestible info-packets."

Exam: I agree we have to work with realities but we can also be the instruments of change if we want it badly enough.

Personally I think ethics and morality is the domain of the home . But I guess the reality is that many parents these days are AWOL and kids are left sorting out many of these realities for themselves.

We have dropped the ball in relation to standards of acceptable behaviour - and at the risk of sounding like a fogey - I don't believe that the problem is insurmountable, challenging yes, but not impossible.

The problem with any sort of ethics program is that it will only be as good as the person 'teaching' it and while most teachers will present the subject in an open manner of debate, many may bring a strong agenda. How will the discussion be presented appropriately to various age groups? I would personally hope it only be directed to Yr11/12.

My daughter, when in Year 1, came home one day from school saying the teacher said she could do anything she wanted to do - literally.

YeGads, it transpired that there was a motivtional speaker (heaven help me for year ones) who talked about her athletic career and the number of personal obstacles and handicaps she had to overcome to achieve ie. you can do anything you want to.

Took me ages to sort that one out in terms of meaning.

Have you heard the one about Harvard business school considering including ethics in their curriculum? Questions are being asked about how culpable the schools are, for the GFC.
Serving Mammon, instead of God?

Why not go one step further and offer LAW and Ethics as a subject for high school students?
I did this subject at college and it certainly made me think more deeply about the consequences of peoples actions.

It was a fascinating subject that I am sure could be taylored to the needs of adolescents, and could also help to steer them away from crime as well- who knows?