Bold initiative gives seniors the chance to shape young minds
You don’t make it to the age of 60 without learning a thing or two. So, it’s encouraging to learn that for once, an organisation is recognising the knowledge and wisdom of seniors and using it to help shape the minds of the next generation.
Primary Ethics, a non-for-profit organisation which runs ethics education classes in NSW primary classrooms, is encouraging senior citizens to join the ranks of volunteers.
Around a quarter of the teachers taking Primary Ethics classes are already seniors, and the feedback from schools, students and the volunteers has been highly positive.
Blue Mountains retiree Val McCrae, who volunteers with the program, told The Senior, “I had tried various volunteer jobs, but this was the first one that really interested me.
“I love children and I like teaching and I also found the idea of ethics appealing.”
Classes generally run for half an hour.
Val finds the lessons an uplifting experience.
“The children are so bright and usually very compassionate,” she said.
“Their discussions amaze me. They often come out with the funniest things. I don’t think I’ve ever not laughed in a lesson.”
Primary Ethics is always on the lookout for volunteers, so if it sounds like something you’d be interested in you can visit the website and learn more.