Ethics education or religion? Study underway in state schools

[rug]

Thursday, June 23, 2016, 20:29
by Philip Leone Ganado

An exercise to determine the demand for ethics education in State schools is finally under way after repeated complaints by parents who felt their children were not being offered an adequate alternative to religion lessons.

Parents of students in State schools have in the last few days received a questionnaire from the Education Ministry asking for details on their religious beliefs and whether they would like their children to follow ethics lessons, were they to be offered, in an effort by the government to better understand “present and future needs” for the subject.

This newspaper reported in March that students were being denied the opportunity to follow ethics education lessons, which are currently offered in two colleges after being introduced as a pilot project last year, because the government had not undertaken any proper demand assessment.

At least two primary schools officially wrote to the Education Department earlier this year requesting the possibility of offering ethics education to their students but were turned down on the basis of lack of demand.

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20160623/local/ethics-education-or-religion-study-underway-in-state-schools.616447

[Jim__]

1. This sounds like a good idea.

I do wonder how much controversy may arise from these ethics lessons.

According to the official curriculum, the ethics course aims to educate students on making responsible decisions on issues of rights, justice, tolerance, respect and moral values.

I don't know anything about Malta's culture. But in the US I can see where this could potentially cause problems, and there might need to be at least 2 different versions of the ethics course.