Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Sophia Mundi embraces inclusive practices and holistic education. We are a community-oriented school, and strive to create a welcoming and supportive environment for all students, families, and staff, where each child's unique journey is supported and celebrated. We strongly believe that by supporting diversity in our school we prepare our students for a diverse modern world – a global community that sees itself reflected in each of our students and is all the more resilient because of them.

Sophia Mundi values diversity, supports equal rights, and rejects all forms of discrimination. We are committed to welcoming and respecting the dignity of each community member, regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, ancestral heritage, religion, age, body size, occupation, family constellation, language, gender identity, gender expression, sex, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, prior education, learning difference, visible and invisible disability, medical condition or injury.

We have a responsibility to address all forms of discrimination in our workplace, our community and in our education, and proactively work to deliver on this responsibility. Any effort to exclude or disparage specific groups of people, including through unconscious action, is contrary to the fundamental ethos of Steiner education and the International Baccalaureate.

Racism is one form of discrimination, and we acknowledge the injustice and discrimination experienced by First Nations Peoples, people from diverse cultures and people of diverse ethnic backgrounds in Australia and around the world. We commit to opposing racism in all forms through our understandings, our values and our actions.

Sophia Mundi works with an approach of equity and strongly rejects any historical statements attributed to Dr Rudolf Steiner from which inferences of racial prejudice, discrimination or judgment may be made. Such attitudes are contradictory and undermine the inherent goals of Steiner education.

Dr Rudolf Steiner lived 100 years ago, and while he was an enlightened and visionary thinker, and his overall mission was one of equity and inclusion, he was still influenced by the thinking of the times.

However, Steiner also wrote that Steiner schools should respond to and reflect the context it is in. Sophia Mundi has adapted a core Steiner curriculum to our cultural and environmental situation, to meet the needs of our students and the modern times, responding to current research and advancements in understanding, while remaining true to the values and intentions of Steiner education. 

At Sophia Mundi, we endeavour to nurture the children in our care by preparing them to meet the wide world with open-mindedness, confidence, compassion, and resilience. We have the potential and capacity to embody the intersection and synergy of Steiner education, the International Baccalaureate and social justice initiatives, and we invite every member of our community to join us. We endeavour to learn and grow in this space, and are committed to continuous improvement.

Our education embraces and honours all peoples and cultures, particularly Australia’s First Nations heritage, and considers all human beings to be free and equal in dignity and human rights. Our curriculum aligns with child developmental stages, with stories and activities tailored for each class. We work together to review and update our curriculum and resources with culturally diverse narratives and images, drawing particularly from the stories of our First Peoples. We cultivate and celebrate the diversity of our community, including incorporating their rich festivals, stories and celebrations into our classrooms.

Sophia Mundi is thankful to our committed staff, students and community for continuing to help shape the conversation and evolution of our curriculum.