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Controversial issues in the Australian educational context : Dimension of politics, policy and practice
McPherson, Amy Forster, Daniella Kerr, Kylie
McPherson, Amy
Forster, Daniella
Kerr, Kylie
Abstract
In recent years, a number of controversies related to climate change, racism and Black Lives Matter, and gender and sexual diversity have characterised public debate in Australia about politically charged content in schools. This paper explores one jurisdiction’s “Controversial Issues in Schools” policy through three broad areas of discussion. We begin by analysing the current social and political context in Australia at both a state and national level to consider how debates around controversial issues in schools have been utilised to exploit both existing and emerging cultural divisions. We then examine some of the philosophical claims central to the “Controversial Issues in Schools” policy before considering a single case of teacher deliberation in relation to the policy. The paper argues that the policy does little to support teachers in bringing up controversial issues in the classroom particularly given the ways teacher conduct in relation to controversial issues is treated in public discourse. Engaging with controversial issues as a matter of teacher conduct fails to acknowledge the epistemic, ethical, and political nature of controversial issues and teachers’ deliberation in relation to such concerns and constructs teacher conduct as a central concern.
Keywords
controversial issues, controversial issues in schools policy, professional ethics, teacher conduct
Date
2023
Type
Journal article
Journal
Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education
Book
Volume
51
Issue
2
Page Range
113-127
Article Number
ACU Department
School of Education
Faculty of Education and Arts
Faculty of Education and Arts
Collections
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
All rights reserved
File Access
Controlled