The video below gives an insight into how the Ethical Education curriculum works in practice.
Ethical Education at Hansfield ETSS
Ethical Education is at the heart of Hansfield ETSS ethos and is taught throughout students' time with us. It provides a safe, inclusive and respectful space in which students can explore values, beliefs and worldviews, consider important ethical questions and develop their own informed opinions.
Through discussion, debate, reflection, research and action, students learn to listen respectfully to different perspectives, recognise their own assumptions and biases, and make thoughtful and responsible decisions. Students learn about a wide range of religious and non-religious worldviews without any one belief system being promoted over another.
At Hansfield ETSS, Ethical Education supports our values of Respect, Inclusivity, Honesty, Openness, Community and Partnerships. It encourages students to become thoughtful, compassionate and active members of their school, local community and wider society. (Educate Together)
“Learning about yourself, the world you live in and how you can improve it.” (Educate Together)
Junior Cycle Ethical Education
The Junior Cycle Ethical Education curriculum aims to develop students’ ability to explore, question and reflect critically on their own values, beliefs and worldviews, as well as those of others. It helps students to communicate respectfully, consider the rights and perspectives of others and make informed ethical decisions.
The course is designed for approximately 100 hours of learning and is organised around nine interconnected strands.
1. Values
Students explore what is important to them and consider the people, experiences and influences that have shaped their values. They learn to distinguish between values, morality, principles, facts and opinions.
2. Making Moral and Ethical Decisions
Students examine real-life ethical dilemmas and learn to apply different approaches to decision-making, including rights, fairness, the common good, consequences and personal character.
3. Beliefs and Worldviews
Students explore religious and non-religious beliefs, ideologies and worldviews. They consider how family, culture, religion, personal experience, politics, gender and other influences can shape how people understand the world.
4. Different Teachings and Perspectives
Students engage with stories, myths, texts, films and other sources from a variety of traditions. They consider how these can influence human thought, values and behaviour.
5. Diversity in Ireland
Students investigate Ireland’s increasingly diverse society. They examine identity, culture, language, religion, equality, inclusion, stereotyping and the experiences of minority communities.
6. Migration
Students explore migration in Ireland and around the world. They learn about the experiences of migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum, while also considering how migration is represented in the media.
7. Power and Participation
Students examine how decisions are made within their school and wider society. They explore student voice, democratic participation, school rules and the role of structures such as the Student Council and Board of Management.
8. Gender Equality
Students investigate gender equality in school, Irish society and the wider world. They examine gender stereotypes, representation, equality campaigns and possible ways of promoting positive change.
9. Global Citizenship Education
Students learn about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and explore issues including sustainability, fair trade, poverty, equality and responsible consumption. They are encouraged to work with others and take meaningful action.
How Students Learn
Junior Cycle Ethical Education is active and student-centred. Learning may include:
- Group discussion and respectful debate
- Ethical dilemmas and real-life case studies
- Research projects, surveys and presentations
- Posters, artwork, podcasts and digital media
- Reflective writing and portfolio work
- Student-led campaigns and community action
The teacher acts as a facilitator, helping students to ask questions, examine reliable information and engage respectfully with different views.
Assessment at Junior Cycle
Assessment is ongoing and is designed to support students’ learning and development. Students may demonstrate their learning through presentations, projects, portfolios, discussions, creative work and personal reflections.
Students complete a Classroom-Based Assessment (CBA), normally during third year. They review their learning and select examples that demonstrate how their knowledge, understanding and thinking have developed. The reflection may be presented in a written, oral, artistic or digital format.
Senior Cycle Ethical Education
Senior Cycle Ethical Education builds on the knowledge, skills and attitudes developed during Junior Cycle. It supports students as they prepare for adulthood and begin to engage more independently with complex personal, social, political and global questions.
Students are encouraged to develop conscious, considered and informed values and to apply those values in their everyday lives. The curriculum places equal importance on knowledge, skills, attitudes and action.
The course is designed for approximately 60 hours of learning, normally delivered through one class period each week. It is organised into five strands, with learning progressing from personal values and identity to wider questions about power, privilege and justice.
1. Values, Assumptions and Action
Students revisit their personal values and examine whether their actions reflect the values they say are important to them. They explore cognitive biases, cultural influences, respectful communication and productive discussion.
A central question in this strand is, What would happen if everyone behaved the way I do?
2. Identity, Inclusion and Diversity
Students explore the different elements that shape identity, including personal, cultural, political, religious and group identities. They consider belonging, social norms, inclusion, exclusion, prejudice and the benefits and challenges of diversity.
3. Pleasure, Purpose and the Meaning of Life
Students consider what makes a fulfilling and meaningful life. They explore concepts such as happiness, pleasure, human flourishing, altruism and personal purpose.
Students also examine consumerism, fast fashion, environmental responsibility, animal welfare and the impact of their choices on other people and future generations.
4. Power and Privilege
Students investigate how power, privilege, wealth, knowledge and social position influence people’s experiences and opportunities. They explore inequality, poverty, homelessness, migration and social hierarchies.
Students are encouraged to consider how power should be distributed and how individuals and communities can work together to negotiate fair solutions.
5. Justice
Students examine what it means for a decision, action or society to be just. They explore truth, fairness, ethical decision-making, punishment, the prison system and restorative justice.
The strand asks students to consider questions such as, What kind of society would you create if you could become any member of it?
Assessment at Senior Cycle
Assessment is ongoing and focuses on students’ progress in knowledge, ethical reasoning, communication, reflection and participation. It may include discussion, research, presentations, reflective activities, experiential learning and collaborative projects.
You will find more details at the links below.