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Moral values for public education.

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Abstract

The continuing degeneration of personal virtue among the world's societies seems to be emerging as the single-most urgent issue of our time. Until recent years, public schools had long since deferred from their original roles in morality and character education, though many outside of the school systems continued political pressure to move schools either toward or away from a values-oriented curriculum. This author analyses this history and poses questions and ideas about the appropriate teaching of the difference between right and wrong in American schools.

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The continuing degeneration of personal virtue among the world's societies seems to be emerging as the single-most urgent issue of our time. The 1970's brought a revisitation of 'values" but under a personalistic approach called "Values Clarification." Values were to be presented in a neutral way to students who were to clarify and select their choices. There were no incorrect choices, except those for which the individual failed to formulate a supporting rationale. The 1980's and 90's saw a rapidly intensifying pluralistic view of American society. When the question of values came up, people asked, "Whose values should we teach?" Many in North American society believe in a core set of virtues found most commonly in a Christian worldview or a Judeo-Christian philosophy, even many who would not characterize themselves as particularly "religious." Yet the personalistic approach to identification of "virtue" failed to bring about a more moral society but has, instead, resulted in moral decline. Public schools had long since deferred from their original roles in morality and character education and even many churches or religious organizations were not picking up the slack (Meade, 1990

A Major Study on the Morals and Ethics of Children

In March 1990, Robert Coles, a child psychiatrist and Harvard professor, one who called himself "a member of the liberal intellectual left", was quoted as wistfully recalling "the good old days when religion was taught in the schools" (Meade, 1990). Coles sensed a void--something missing from American homes and schools--missing for years. Coles directed a major research project. The missing element was, they concluded, a strong, unarguable notion of right and wrong, good and bad. Coles' findings revealed a nation of children who have a complicated belief system that usually runs counter to traditional values. "There was an unmistakable erosion of children's faith in, and support for, traditional sources of authority." More than parents, teachers or authoritative officials, children turned to peers for guidance on matters of right and wrong. Coles described conversations with many kids whose consciences he said were "not all that muscular." (Meade, 1990)

The New Character Education

A new ground swell is observed forming...

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