All resources used within the College will be selected having regard to the nature of the College as a Christian parent-controlled school.
Resources selected should uphold biblical precepts and teachings as defined by our constitution and the association’s vision and mission statements.
Accordingly #
- Appropriate professional judgment and common sense will be applied, having regard to the intended audience and context for use of the resource within the College.
- Resources will be selected having regard to their relevance and appropriateness for the school education of children from Christian homes.
- Resources will be selected having regard to their physical quality, clarity of presentation, attractiveness, durability and cost.
- Resources will be selected having regard to the need for students to understand and relate to significant elements of their culture, including literature, film, the arts etc.
- Resources selected may or may not be produced by Christian authors, publishers or manufacturers.
- Resource selection should reflect the obligation for the serious and maturing Christian mind to comprehend the culture around it in order to approve those elements that are godly and to oppose those elements that are contrary to godliness.
- Resources which contain extreme or overtly anti-Christian portrayals should not be selected.
- Fiction resources will be selected having regard to the literary and creative skill displayed by the author, the accuracy with which the author portrays God, people, relationships, events and the created order and the interest which the subject matter, and the way it is presented, is likely to hold for a particular age group of school students.
- Non-fiction resources will be selected having regard to their accuracy and fact, relevance to the formal curriculum of the school or to the development of appropriate leisure activities by the students, the appropriateness of any discussion of moral or ethical issues, literature, the arts, religion, etc. which they may contain.
- Principals shall take reasonable steps to ensure systems are in place at the campus level to prohibit student access to unsuitable sites on the media. Monitoring of student internet access is to occur to ensure that resources selected from the internet are in keeping with the principles of this policy.
Dispute Resolution #
Where a difference of opinion arises between Christian members of the College community over the application of this policy, at least the following steps will be appropriate to resolve the matter:
- The resource in question should first be discussed personally with the teacher-librarian (if a library resource) or the teacher (if an in-class resource); as part of this discussion the teacher-librarian or teacher concerned will provide the concerned party with a copy of this policy.
- If agreement on the inclusion or removal of the resource is not reached, an invitation will be extended to the concerned party to express their concerns to the Principal in writing. This would normally involve the reading or viewing of the entire resource by the concerned party.
- The letter, when submitted, will be considered by the Principal, who will consult with relevant staff and the concerned party prior to making a decision about the suitability of the resource in question.
- If the concerned party if a parent, s/he may request that their child(ren) not be permitted to read or view the resource, regardless of the outcome of this procedure.
- If the concerned party is not satisfied with the outcome they may make a written request to the CEO to have the Principal’s decision reviewed by a resource review committee convened by the CEO and consisting of at least two parents and two staff. The resource review committee will make a recommendation to the CEO.
Responsibility #
Responsibility for the selection of library resources rests with the teacher-librarian at each campus, who is accountable to the Board through the Principal and the CEO.
Responsibility for the selection of in-class resources rests with the teacher and/or their Head of Learning Area / Curriculum Coordinator, who are accountable to the board through the Principal and CEO.