Grammar Gazette- Issue 1, 2011

HUMANITIES FACULTY

ffiffiffiruffi MffiM&Mx ffiffiffiWffiruffi &ruffiWffiffiffi Wffi WMffi ffiffiffi ffiffiffiffiWffiffiruffi MS ALISON DARE, Director, Humanities Faculty Studies in the humanities at Brisbane Girls Grammar School have a long history and have always played an important role in providing our students with a broad-based liberal education.

example, saw knowledg" as integrated and the various subject disciplines such as mathematics, logic and geography as branches of the new humanistic curiosity in a world which offered endless possibilities for enlightenment. The famed 'father of history' Flerodotus embodied this curiosity in that he is also purported to be the first to write amajor work on geography and ethnogruphy. Today as knowledg" has become more complex, it has also fragmented and lost some of this grand and unified vision. While the Humanities Faculty does not claim a monopoly on a broad-based liberal education, it is nevertheless well placed to explore the dynamic links between different areas of knowledg" as well as being able to think about the ultimate purpose of education as a.way of realising our shared hum anity in all of its various historic aI, religious, socio-economic and geogrlphic dimensions. In asking the question of what it is that makes us human, we are compelled not only to look for commonalities between different societies but also to explore the 'otherness'of groups who seem so remote from us. The Humanities Faculty is united by a common goal - to see our students equipped with the means by which to make sense of the increasingly complex world in which they find themselves. The means bywhich such seemingly lofty

This clear vision is perhaps more important now, in a climate where the content of school curricula on a national scale are up for political'grabs', for it has enabled us to stand firm in our conviction about what a humanities education should entail. As its name suggests, studies in the humanities explore questions of whatit means to be human and the complexity that goes with such questions; it is about how we act and the forces that shape us to accomplish both great and terrible things. Underlying this is the premise that the process of 'becoming human' involves inter play between the individual and his or her society and environment. .Although it can be argued that all true education is ultimately about enabling the individual to become more fully human, humanities education is perhaps more explicit in this objective. This is attributable to the unique w^y in which a humanities framework conceives of the world. Recognising that humans are more than the sum of their parts is a distinguishing characteristic of humanistic study and it is this approach which sets it apart from many other fields of knowledge which focus on knowing 'about'human a process which is inherently reductionist. This approach is hardly new; indeed from an historical perspective all education was once humanities education. Some of the earliest schools in Ancient Athens for

aspirations can be achieved rest firmly with the development of creative and critical thinking skills. Subjects in our faculty approach the development of these skills through avariety of methods tailored to specific contexts. They are mindful of the need to balance relevance and immediacy with an appreciation of knowledg. for its own sake. Ultimately, the most significant legacy for our humanities students relates to their understanding of the humanity they share with others regardless of time and place. References: Strassler, R.B. (Ed.). (2008). The Landmark Herodotus. London: Quercus. McCutcheon, F. (2006). Educatron as a Humanrsrng Activity. [conference paperl. Dialogue Australasia Conference. White, P (interviewee). (November 30,2003). Humanities. Radio National IRadio Transcript]. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

STUDY OF RELIGION MR ALAN DALE, Dean {schoot

The Study of Religion syllabus, which has bee n avaTlable at this School since 198L, does not promote arry particular viewpoint or religious tradition but is designed to be an appropriate field of study for all students irrespective of the existence or level of individual religious knowledg. or beliefs. Study of Religion seeks to develop students' knowledge, skills and values and understanding through critical inquiry, debate, reflection and empathetic engagement with the standpoint of others. It draws on many fields of knowledge and inquiry, focussing core components in the nature and significance of religion as a universal cultural and historical phenomenon, Australian religious perspectives and the variery of world religions. As an academic discipline it adopts an educational

approach, grounding five of the seven key learning competencies and develops and assesses student achievement in the domains of knowledge and understanding, evaluation and research and communication. Contemporury Australia is a pluralist society. Studying religion helps students to become aware of the beliefs of others and to further understand their own. These studies also help students become effective global citizens and promote cross-cultural harmony, tolerance and mutual enrichment by enhancing understanding of the ways in which particular cultural contexts have influenced and continue to influence the formation of an individual's world view.

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