Hoa Nghiem Buddhist College (HNBC) is a Buddhist primary school (Foundation to Year 6) located in Springvale South, Victoria, affiliated with Hoa Nghiem Temple. It was co-founded by Venerable Thich Thien Tam and Venerable Thich Phuoc Uyen in 2016, following two years of planning and consultation with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority. Most Venerable Thich Thien Tam established this College in direct response to the language and cultural challenges faced by Vietnamese refugee and migrant communities in Australia; he identified mainstream schooling as the most effective environment for transmitting Buddhist teachings to English-speaking younger generations. Founding Principal Venerable Thich Phuoc Uyen, also a registered teacher, is instrumental in the College’s curricula development that is grounded in Buddhist philosophy and the cultivation of wisdom.¹  

While operating within the Victorian Curriculum, HNBC also advocates a distinctive Systemic Learning Approach that integrates Buddhist practice, environmental awareness from Indigenous perspectives, and biomimicry thinking to develop what the school describes as students’ quality of being, alongside their academic capacities.² HNBC’s educational philosophy reflects the principles of engaged Buddhism, understood as the integration of contemplative practice and active responsibility toward communities and the living world.³ Daily practice includes guided meditation, awareness exercises, and nature-based learning. This innovative curriculum aligns with UNESCO’s framework for learning in the twenty-first century.⁴ HNBC represents a significant example of engaged Buddhist education in Australia, demonstrating how Buddhist values and pedagogy can operate within a mainstream schooling environment. 

By Juewei Shi, Sue Smith 

Keywords: Buddhist education, Engaged Buddhism, Vietnamese Buddhism,