School Forum Resources
Point Lonsdale students
State and Territories and non-government education authorities are coordinating the conduct of values education forums in every Australian school. These forums are funded by the Australian Government with $10 million over four years.
Each school community will make decisions about its forum in the light of the National Framework for Values Education in Australian Schools (2005) and its own particular circumstances.
To apply for funding to conduct a values education forum, schools need to contact their State or Territory Values Education Contact Officer. Contact details and more information on values education forums can be found on the States and Territories menu.
Resources
Every school in Australia has received the Values for Australian Schooling Kit, which will provide print, DVD and poster resources for values education professional learning and for conducting school values education forums.
Schools preparing to conduct their own school forums will find the Values Education Forums – Engaging your school community resource in the kit, useful in planning and running forums and engaging the school community. There is information and activities on:
- applying for funding;
- forming a working group;
- previewing the values education resources;
- getting to know your school context;
- conducting surveys of parents, teachers and students;
- deciding on goals and outcomes for your forum;
- activities for your forum;
- after the forum;
- practical considerations for the working group.
Another useful resource is Discovering Democratic Values: Teaching and learning civic values, a professional development DVD that allows teachers and schools to examine a variety of perspectives in civic values education. It provides models and ideas as a stimulus for schools to reflect on their own practices and consider opportunities for implementing values education relevant to their own school communities.
To obtain a free copy of the DVD on a first come first served basis, schools can contact their State or Territory Values Education Contact Officer or email Curriculum Corporation.
School forum snapshots
Reflections and stories of values education school forums that have been conducted around the country are a useful resource for those wanting practical advice and ideas for preparing their own school forums. For further school forum snapshots visit the Values for Australian Schooling Newsletter on this website or individual State and Territory news.
Australian Capital Territory
Read reports from the following schools for a sampler of the variety of ways to conduct a school forum:
- Burgmann Anglican School
- Campbell High School
- Canberra Grammar School
- Chisholm Primary School
- Gilmore Primary School
- Marist College Canberra
- Melba High School
- Melrose Primary School
- Rivett Primary School
- Southern Cross Primary School
- St Thomas the Apostle Primary School
- Sts Peter and Paul Primary School
Queensland
At Rochedale State School Vicky King's enthusiasm for values education was the catalyst for the values education school forum. The forum was used by the school community as way of agreeing to a common values education strategy and was the start of their values journey.
Palm Beach Currumbin State High School in Queensland commenced their values education program in 2005. The Values Education forum held in March 2007 was part of this ongoing process.
South Australia
Tarpeena Primary School held a values forum to review the existing values of the school and to begin the process of integrating their school values and objectives with the National Framework. This forum was the starting point of their values review.
Islamic College of South Australia 
In 2007 the Islamic College of South Australia focused on integrating values education into school policies, learning outcomes in all curriculum areas, their school community and everyday life. A values forum during Literacy and Numeracy Week illustrated to the school community the depth of student engagement, from Kindergarten to Year 12, in the process and their understanding of values.
Tasmania
Collinsvale Primary School celebrated its diverse enrichment programs at its values education school forum.
Distance Education Tasmania school forum discussions were an invaluable way of coming to know students’ families and their values more deeply.
Victoria
During 2004 Lalor East Primary School students produced a booklet developed by staff and the school council and arising from the 2003 Values Education Study (DEST). ‘The booklet was presented at the school AGM in March 2005 and then at an Arabic-speaking parents’ forum in June. These two events represented the school’s values education forum.’
Point Lonsdale Primary School has a long and established history of explicitly placing values at the forefront of school practice. They are a long way down the track of values education. In fact, they are so confident in their whole school approach and practice that the students at this primary school organised the whole values education school forum themselves. Values education forums allow school communities to consider what place values education plays in schools’ policies and practices.
At Undera Primary School the values education school forum complemented the school’s Garden Science Project and helped forge stronger bonds between the school and the community at a time of need.
Western Australia
Read reports from the following schools for a sampler of the variety of ways to conduct a school forum:
- Binnu Primary School
- Carine Primary School
- Carramar Primary School
- Girrawheen Primary School
- Mirrabooka Precinct Cluster
- Mount Tarcoola Primary School
- Morley Primary School
- North Balga Primary School,
- North Hampton District High School
- Wanneroo Primary School
- Western Australian Camp Schools
Boddington District High School was inspired to conduct a school community forum in response to unexpected results from the Monitoring Standards in Education (MSE) test ‘Respecting and Valuing Others’. The notes from the school’s planning day show that the whole school community was involved and that there were some great ideas for incorporating values education in the school.
Carine Primary School celebrated their values through dance, song and circus acts in a Values Celebration Assembly. Go to Carine’s website to see images of the students’ joyful participation in their values forum.
Girrawheen Senior High School is preparing for a values forum in 2006. The Principal of Girrawheen has outlined the processes the school has taken so far to incorporate values education in school life. The process included some key documents: a staff awareness-raising document and PowerPoint® , ‘No Child Will Leave Girrawheen Empty Handed’; ‘The Values Agenda – Where to for the School Community?’ and ‘Values at Girrawheen SHS – the final instalment in the first wave’.