Students in Port Macquarie and Camden Haven are learning all about ethics in the modern age thanks to an optional school learning initiative.
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The Primary Ethics classes are taught by local volunteers in schools as an alternative for students who may have opted out of Special Religious Education classes.
Students are taught to make well-reasoned decisions by being given a range of scenarios and moral conundrums. The classes began in Hastings and Laurieton schools in 2013.
Local ethics teacher April Saunders said the classes could be a good alternative for non-religious students or students whose religion was not offered at school.
"The level of discussions can be quite different and enjoyable. Sometimes they're are out of the box solutions," she said.
"They start with a scenario or story and then questions are asked so that the story unfolds with different views of the same situation.
"I think kids enjoy being able to talk knowing that there's no right or wrong answer.
"Anything they say can be the right answer, they have got a chance to talk."
Local public primary schools in the Hastings region that have run ethics classes include Lake Cathie, Port Macquarie, Hastings, Tacking Point, Beechwood, Wauchope and Laurieton Public School.
Around 20 volunteers attended the first ethics teacher training session held in Port Macquarie in June last year to launch programs at new schools in the region.
The next ethics teacher training days are scheduled for April 6 and 7 this year.
Primary Ethics communications manager Heidi McElnea said the classes benefited students who had opted out of other areas and volunteers who gained skills conducting lessons.
"We are offering the program to students who may have already opted out of other options such as religious scripture," she said.
"It's very rewarding listening to the opinions of young people and it's only about an hour a week, 30 mins per lesson.
"There's a large range of volunteers such as parents, teachers or grand parents, people who enjoy philosophy and even university students."
For more information or to sign up for a training session click here.
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