Who we are
Buddhist Education Services for schools, BESS, is a voluntary organisation that has provided non-denominational Buddhist education to students in state schools in and around Brisbane since 2007. Our curriculum is guided by the ethical values taught by the Buddha and our volunteer teachers are drawn from many different Buddhist traditions. The dedicated volunteer teachers have a sound knowledge of Buddhism and are trained and supported by BESS with regular professional development days, access to courses and a variety of teaching resources.
Our aim is to contribute to the spiritual well-being of every child and help them to develop the knowledge, skills and values required to contribute to a harmonious and peaceful community.
Our curriculum is guided by the legislation enacted by the Queensland Department of Education act 2008
What we do
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Our volunteer teachers are authorised to share Buddhist philosophy to students in schools where Religious Instruction classes are offered as extra-curricular study.
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BESS teachers represent many of the Buddhist traditions that are now established in Brisbane, from Thai to Tibetan and Chinese to Sri Lanka.
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We are able to facilitate applications for the Blue Card required by all personnel who work with children in Australia.
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We provide training and support for our teachers with a sound, researched curriculum, engaging and age appropriate lesson plans as well as resources to ensure that there is a consistent and uniform approach to their teaching.
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We regularly liase with schools, to ensure that we continue to meet their standards and expectations.
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We are happy to help parents who would like Buddhist classes to be offered at their children’s school.
All our members are enthusiastic volunteers, committed to sharing their knowledge of Buddhism with the children. Most of our management committee are also teachers and are dedicated to the development, improvement and growth of the organisation.
The BESS Teachers
Our wonderful teachers are drawn from both Buddhist traditions, Theravadan and Mahayana, and consequently from many different cultural backgrounds such as Chinese, Sri Lankan and European. However, our curriculum is entirely non-sectarian, with the teachers sharing the fundamental basics of Buddhist philosophy with the children. This will give them sound life skills to help them cope better with the stresses that they will inevitable come across in life. They will lead a good life for the benefit of themselves, their immediate community and the world in general.
The teachers come together each term for mandatory professional development & take that opportunity to share their experiences whilst building a strong community spirit. There are lectures in all aspects of age-appropriate lesson planning, classroom management, pedagogical skills as well as IT skills. All teachers have a blue card and receive annual student protection training as directed in legislation.