Learning about CST through literature.

Trash, by Andy Mulligan, is a stirring narrative of life, loss, love and resilience taking us all to the heart of the issues facing our world today and reminds us of our common humanity. Set in a slum, built around a massive landfill site, the story covers the adventures of three courageous young people when they discover a deadly secret during their daily scavenge for survival: faced with death threats, police brutality and social injustice, our heroes embark on a quest for justice and survival. Along the way they meet others whose kindness, generosity and compassion offer powerful role models in the war against poverty and neglect.

Why are we learning about this text?

We believe that this cross-curricular approach (Y7 immersion project) will help all our students settle into school more quickly and enable all students to make academic progress within their first few weeks at Oaklands. The book offers a profound moral message which matches our Catholic ethos and the Catholic Social Teaching principles of the human condition/dignity, the common good, options for the poor, care for creation and the environment, and rights and responsibilities. Not only is this a desperately powerful novel of shared struggle and togetherness, it is also an engaging and thought-provoking story to entertain and enthral. In essence, we believe this approach will create a stimulating and enjoyable start to Year 7 for everyone in, around and joining the Oaklands community.