Victorian students will receive a more worldly education thanks to a $16,000 Brumby Government funding boost to develop a new resource.
Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development and Member for Mount Waverley, Ms Morand, launched a unique education resource created by the Buddhist Council of Victoria at Mount Waverley Primary School recently.
Ms Morand said the Brumby Government provided $16,000 towards the development of the Discovering Buddha resource through the Victorian Multicultural Commission Community Grants Program.
“The Brumby Government is taking action to strengthen multiculturalism in Victoria and is a proud supporter of multicultural community groups and respect for diversity in schools,’’ Ms Morand said.
“I commended the Buddhist Council of Victoria for creating a resource that will help students develop a greater understanding of different cultures.
“Buddhists are now the largest non-Christian group in Australia, with almost 420,000 people, or 2 per cent of the nations population. In the City of Monash over 8500 people, or 5 per cent of the population are practising Buddhists, so it is fitting Mount Waverly Primary School embrace this resource.
“Discovering Buddha reaches children at a time when they are beginning to engage with the wider world around them and this program gives young Victorians the opportunity to understand and embrace diversity during these critical years of their growth and learning.”
Mount Waverley Primary School is one of 10 schools across Victoria that will start using Discovering Buddha in the new year.
Buddhist Council of Victoria, Education Convenor Peggy Page said the resource was developed to meet immediate needs of teachers in Buddhist classes.
“We would like to offer Discovering Buddha to all teachers who are studying Buddhism with their classes and those who are looking for new ways to cultivate kindness and individual responsibility with their students,” Ms Page said.
“It is a community response to present the Buddha’s teachings in ways that are inclusive of all children irrespective of their cultural and religious backgrounds.”
Buddhists from three traditions and 14 different ethnicities came together to produce the resource which represents the diversity of Buddhists in Victoria and engages students to develop greater self-awareness, wisdom and compassion.
For more information on the resource visit
www.bcvic.org.au
Ms Morand said the Brumby Government provided $16,000 towards the development of the Discovering Buddha resource through the Victorian Multicultural Commission Community Grants Program.
“The Brumby Government is taking action to strengthen multiculturalism in Victoria and is a proud supporter of multicultural community groups and respect for diversity in schools,’’ Ms Morand said.
“I commended the Buddhist Council of Victoria for creating a resource that will help students develop a greater understanding of different cultures.
“Buddhists are now the largest non-Christian group in Australia, with almost 420,000 people, or 2 per cent of the nations population. In the City of Monash over 8500 people, or 5 per cent of the population are practising Buddhists, so it is fitting Mount Waverly Primary School embrace this resource.
“Discovering Buddha reaches children at a time when they are beginning to engage with the wider world around them and this program gives young Victorians the opportunity to understand and embrace diversity during these critical years of their growth and learning.”
Mount Waverley Primary School is one of 10 schools across Victoria that will start using Discovering Buddha in the new year.
Buddhist Council of Victoria, Education Convenor Peggy Page said the resource was developed to meet immediate needs of teachers in Buddhist classes.
“We would like to offer Discovering Buddha to all teachers who are studying Buddhism with their classes and those who are looking for new ways to cultivate kindness and individual responsibility with their students,” Ms Page said.
“It is a community response to present the Buddha’s teachings in ways that are inclusive of all children irrespective of their cultural and religious backgrounds.”
Buddhists from three traditions and 14 different ethnicities came together to produce the resource which represents the diversity of Buddhists in Victoria and engages students to develop greater self-awareness, wisdom and compassion.
For more information on the resource visit
www.bcvic.org.au