The time for action is now

Simon Carver

Carey Pride and Gender Equity Group teacher liaison

‘Student agency is about acting rather than being acted upon; shaping rather than being shaped; and making responsible decisions and choices rather than accepting those determined by others.’ (OECD, 2020)

At Carey, we celebrate individuals who are trying to change the world in a positive way. Our students understand that change commences with conversation and culminates in action. The passion of our students to have these conversations, take action and drive change has led to the establishment of several student-led groups: the Environmental Group, the Gender Equity Group, the Pride Group, and the Social Justice Action Group. Some of these have been around for several years, but in 2020, they are now united under the banner of the Carey Student Community Groups.

The thread that connects the four groups is the belief in student autonomy as the critical ingredient for an experience to markedly advance learning. Student voice and agency are intrinsically linked, and the unity of the Carey Student Community Groups allows them to express their diverse voices while advocating boldly for individuals to be heard. All groups share the aim to: ‘Act rather than be acted upon; shape rather than be shaped and make responsible decisions and choices rather than accepting those determined by others.’

While there has been so much that has been unexpected this year, one constant at Carey throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been the drive from the student body to use their position of privilege to empower others. In order to continue their important work, even despite the challenges of lockdowns, a robust online platform was created for developing ideas, sharing resources and providing a safe space for students to work together to create change. Our students never stopped working on creating positive change for our world.

Environmental Group

Carey is committed to achieving a more sustainable future. The School’s environmental focus is evidenced through the environmental awareness woven into the curriculum and myriad projects, ranging from emphasising the use of appropriate bins to the deliberate acquisition of products from companies that practise fair trade and discussions leading to more solar panels at the School and within our community. These are opportunities for the student Environmental Group to have a say in shaping future directions. The Carey Student Community Groups webpage has given the students a platform to contact other environmental groups, access donation pages and engage in discussions about what we can do to be more sustainable. The role of the Environmental Group is to continue to raise awareness of the world beyond Kew and assist in the exploration of pathways towards action.

One constant at Carey throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been the drive from the student body to use their position of privilege to empower others.

Gender Equity Group

Gender-based injustices are a battle that have been fought throughout history and, unfortunately, are still prevalent in today’s society. Whether it is debate over pay disparity or equal representation in leadership and on boards, our students continue to live in a society that is not always modelling equality. Carey maintains an even student gender balance, and the school leadership team of 10 staff is also gender balanced. However, such statistics are rare, and our students know that inequalities remain explicit in our wider society to the point where they are normalised. The aim of the Gender Equity group is to question the status quo to create an inclusive culture within and beyond the classroom. An example of the work this group will contribute towards is the development of our sports complexes in Bulleen and Kew, addressing how these facilities can be structured to enable genuine equality in both the accessibility and priority for all students, regardless of their gender identity. The voice of this group will shape these decisions.

Pride Group

Carey Pride was established many years ago as a group that gives permission to say no to prejudice and acknowledges that diversity manifests a richness to our school community. It has provided a safe environment where expression is granted and wellbeing can flourish. This year, Carey Pride marched with a group of over 40 students, staff, parents and alumni in the annual Midsummer Pride March in St Kilda. This was the largest Carey contingent in the history of the march, joining 10,000 participants from local community groups, schools, universities and businesses from across Melbourne, proudly displaying the rainbow flag in a show of solidarity. Complementing this is our very own annual Carey Pride week, now in its fourth year, providing opportunity for a heightened awareness and understanding of gender and sexuality diverse students. In recent years, students have been able to engage in public debate such as the marriage equality referendum, enabling them to engage in discussions about issues that impact lives beyond Carey. We intend to continue to provide forums where conversation around inclusivity is not merely accepted, but expected.

Social Justice Action Group

This group was founded to help educate students and staff on issues faced by minority communities. It has encouraged conversations around microaggressions, tokenism and the importance of recognising inherent privilege. By creating an open dialogue between students and staff around these problematic behaviours that might go unnoticed or unchecked, there is now the capacity for words and discussion to manifest in action. The purpose is to both implement educational diversity programs in our curriculum and create a structural change through further representation of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour within our students and staff. An example of this is the ongoing project focussing on the implementation of a Reconciliation Action Program, allowing our Junior, Middle and Senior School students to be exposed to the culture and history of First Nations people. The Social Justice Action Group also remains mindful of issues beyond our doorstep, with the COVID-19 pandemic a glaring reminder that despite Australia’s geographic isolation, we are connected to the world, and should shape an ethical response to global social issues. As such, the group also has a focus on the broader global issue of the Black Lives Matter movement. The movement demanded a response and, through this group, there was a pathway to initiate productive discussions. The underlying intent is to build empathy as a means to not only enhance our connectedness as a Carey community, but to impact positively in the world beyond Carey.