Why the Need for Character Education in Schools
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- Category: Politics: Moral Issues
- Date Submitted: 03/07/2010 05:35 PM
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Jody Bishop
Assignment: Analysis Essay on Education
March 4, 2010
Why the Need for Character Education in Schools
"And these words [of God's law] that I am commanding you today must prove to be on your heart. And you must inculcate them in your son. You must speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you get up." The quotation above is part of Moses' farewell address to the nation of Israel given about 3,500 years ago. It well illustrates the traditional role of parents as the primary teachers of values, ethics, and beliefs for much of human history. It also reminds us that the values and ethics that shaped the foundation of western civilization are based on what was thought to be pleasing to God. With the founding of Christianity 1,500 years later, the church became the major institution for providing moral guidance for the western world, although daily instruction of children in such matters remained the duty of parents. Why then, do public schools now feel compelled provide moral guidance under the label of "character education?" It is in order to fill the recent void left by left by parents and religions who are no longer able or willing to teach values and ethics to their children.
The modern disintegration of traditional family life, the widespread rejection of traditional values, as well as the shift within most churches toward nonjudgmental political correctness have left these institutions without a moral compass to pass on to the next generation. Children must now go to school to learn honesty, respect, fairness, caring, kindness, generosity, and courage.
The current disintegration of traditional family life, the diminished influence of religion, and the rejection of traditional morals are all part of a continuum that began in the mid-1800s as the theory of Darwinian evolution began to undermine belief in God as the authority on moral standards. At the same...
Assignment: Analysis Essay on Education
March 4, 2010
Why the Need for Character Education in Schools
"And these words [of God's law] that I am commanding you today must prove to be on your heart. And you must inculcate them in your son. You must speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you get up." The quotation above is part of Moses' farewell address to the nation of Israel given about 3,500 years ago. It well illustrates the traditional role of parents as the primary teachers of values, ethics, and beliefs for much of human history. It also reminds us that the values and ethics that shaped the foundation of western civilization are based on what was thought to be pleasing to God. With the founding of Christianity 1,500 years later, the church became the major institution for providing moral guidance for the western world, although daily instruction of children in such matters remained the duty of parents. Why then, do public schools now feel compelled provide moral guidance under the label of "character education?" It is in order to fill the recent void left by left by parents and religions who are no longer able or willing to teach values and ethics to their children.
The modern disintegration of traditional family life, the widespread rejection of traditional values, as well as the shift within most churches toward nonjudgmental political correctness have left these institutions without a moral compass to pass on to the next generation. Children must now go to school to learn honesty, respect, fairness, caring, kindness, generosity, and courage.
The current disintegration of traditional family life, the diminished influence of religion, and the rejection of traditional morals are all part of a continuum that began in the mid-1800s as the theory of Darwinian evolution began to undermine belief in God as the authority on moral standards. At the same...