Shared values connecting parents, teachers, and students

Abstract

Internationally, there is a growing belief that teachers and schools have an important role to play in values education. In the Australian context, recent reports associated with the National framework for values education in Australian schools (Department of Education, Science and Training 2005) have identified the establishment of shared values, and the consistent use of a common language as good practice in values education. As a result, the reports recommend the need for whole school communities to reach an agreement about the values that guide the schools' work. In a school which emphasizes values education the shared values language can have profound effects on the total educational environment and it can come to inform everything the school does and says. This chapter explores the principles that underpin the connections between parents, teachers, and students at a Queensland rural school, where values education is prioritized.