Queensland Links

How it links with Values Statements in Documents across Queensland's three Sectors

Queensland's response to the Australian Government's approach to values education takes account of the complementary nature of the guidelines and policies of the state, Catholic and Independent sectors and the context in which Queensland schools operate by:

recognising that individual schools will develop their own approaches to values education, reflecting broader understanding of shared personal and social values and the needs of the school community
encouraging local school communities to articulate their values as part of planning processes
enabling school communities to consider what place values education plays in their school policies and practice and how to sustain values education in the curriculum and policies.

Queensland State School Sector

The Queensland Department of Education's 2008 - 2012 Strategic Plan (new window) 868k commits to the following values:

Excellence in Endeavour
Respect for people
Integrity in Service
Professionalism in Performance
Environmental Sustainability
Unity in Purpose

These are supported by the guiding values and principles in the P-12 Curriculum Framework (new window) 383k

The P-12 Curriculum Framework is an over-arching framework that captures all curriculum requirements from Prep to Year 12.

The intended curriculum spans the learning requirements of the early phase, middle phase and senior phase of learning, as specified in the Early Years Curriculum Guidelines, Queensland Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Framework Essential Learnings, and in QSA senior syllabuses and nationally endorsed training packages and nationally accredited vocational education and training courses. It also includes developing the capabilities and values to be active and responsible citizens. These requirements are the core of a student's learning program that may be supplemented with other learning as determined by the school and teacher.

Queensland Catholic School Sector

Queensland Catholic Schools are founded on, what are called, Gospel values. These values are found throughout the four Gospels or written accounts of the life and work of Jesus Christ. The best summary of these values is:

Blessed are the poor,
Blessed are those who mourn,
Blessed are those who are meek,
Blessed are those who search for justice,
Blessed are those who show mercy,
Blessed are those who are pure of heart,
Blessed are those who make peace,
Blessed are those who are persecuted for justice sake.

(Matthew 5, 3-12)

These values are challenging because they are radical and often not those of the prevailing culture. The values require personal reflection, (trans)formation, and consistent application.

The Queensland Catholic Education Commission lists its core values as:

Openness and willingness to cooperate with the Spirit (God) at work in the world.
Respect for individual dignity
Service to all, especially the poor
Stewardship of resources
Justice and peace in structures and procedures
Excellence in teaching and learning
The Catholic Tradition (Strategic Plan 1998-2006)

The Gospel Values inform the life of each Catholic School as students are assisted to form personal relationships with God in Jesus Christ, and engage with the world.

Queensland Independent School Sector

Queensland independent schools, for more than 100 years, have been providing high quality educational services to a wide range of students. With more than 80,000 students enrolled in more than 160 schools, Queensland's independent schools are a vital part of the state's and nation's education system.

Independent schools in Queensland are characterised by diversity. Schools range from those affiliated with particular religious denominations, to schools that promote a philosophy of education or serve particular community groups.

Independent schools share common characteristics. They are strongly committed to:

providing a well-grounded general education;
fostering students' moral and spiritual development;
providing students with pastoral care;
promoting discipline;
catering to the needs, aptitudes and interests of the individual student;
developing strong home-student partnerships;
achieving the best possible outcomes for all.

Families of children at independent schools:

attach a high priority to their children's education; and
wish to educate their children at a school of their choice.

In choosing independent schools, families are able to exercise three basic freedoms of Australian life:

freedom of choice;
freedom of assembly; and
freedom of worship.

They choose schools that articulate the values they believe are important to their children's healthy educational development. In promoting these values, independent schools recognise that a quality education is built on a strong home-school partnership. Thus independent schools generally support, and are supported by, strong parent and community networks that give direction and purpose to their pastoral role.

The Queensland Studies Authority

The Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) , which is responsible for creating the syllabus documents for Queensland schools, has defined the common curriculum for all schools in Queensland in terms of the nationally agreed eight key learning areas: The Arts, English, Health and Physical Education, Languages other than English, Mathematics, Science, Studies of Society and Environment, and Technology. Values statements and references are mentioned throughout these documents.

The National Framework for Values Education in Australian Schools (new window) complements the values promoted by the three schooling sectors as well as those of the Queensland Studies Authority.

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