Should public schools teach moral values?

[Washington]

In as much as many parents are neglectful or unable to instill a good sense of morals in their children should public schools assume this task?

If so, just how far should they go?

 

[Mystman]

In as much as many parents are neglectful or unable to instill a good sense of morals in their children should public schools assume this task?

If so, just how far should they go?

Schools should train children to be law-abiding citizens.

All behavior that could get you sued/imprisoned/fined when you're adult should be discouraged when you're young.

Difficulties arise when the laws itself are unethical...

..but I can't really think of a solution for that.

 

[white dove]

In as much as many parents are neglectful or unable to instill a good sense of morals in their children should public schools assume this task?

If so, just how far should they go?

Lying, cheating, stealing... doesn't public school already handle these things? Punishing said behaviors and affirming moral conduct?

 

[Caitlin.ann]

In as much as many parents are neglectful or unable to instill a good sense of morals in their children should public schools assume this task?

If so, just how far should they go?

Schools should not push certain political thoughts on children which to some are considered "morals". Children should be taught to be law-abiding citizens..nothing more or less.

 

[b&wpac4]

Schools should not push certain political thoughts on children which to some are considered "morals". Children should be taught to be law-abiding citizens..nothing more or less.

You would be fine with teaching children the "why" behind the laws though, right? I mean, you could hardly have a discussion about freedom of speech without getting into the political philosophies of those that decided the idea was so important.

 

[lawtonfogle]

In as much as many parents are neglectful or unable to instill a good sense of morals in their children should public schools assume this task?

If so, just how far should they go?

Clearly the schools should teach a sense of following the law, which should include not frontally putting others down. Ideas such as breaking the law when morals dictate are far harder to decide. Then again, with our founders being treasonous in their own time, it makes things interesting.

 

[seashale76]

In as much as many parents are neglectful or unable to instill a good sense of morals in their children should public schools assume this task?

If so, just how far should they go?

Honestly? No. I'm speaking as a public school teacher. It is the job of parents to do this. Whenever my students ask me questions (often earnest yet random) about various things that verge into moral territory I tell them that I'd love to tell them my views, but as that would inevitably wind up as a religious discussion on my part, that they should go home and seriously ask their parents instead. I don't teach a subject where this should come up.

I personally refuse to separate my morals from my religion, and I'm very upfront about that with anyone who asks. If people were to insist that public schools start teaching morals, then I'd probably have to go work at a private school or find new employment. I'd refuse to teach morality without my religion attached to it.

 

[Caitlin.ann]

You would be fine with teaching children the "why" behind the laws though, right? I mean, you could hardly have a discussion about freedom of speech without getting into the political philosophies of those that decided the idea was so important.

I am just afraid that with teaching "morals" would come with pushing a certain religion and certain political views. To some being pro-choice, using contraceptives, believing in equal rights for homosexuals, etc. is immoral. I think its great to teach kids to follow the law, but religion should be left out of it. And I find very often "morals", religion, political views, etc. are all entwined and I want to avoid teaching any in school in a way to indoctrinate children. To say "some people believe this but others believe this" is okay as long as nothing is pushed onto a child..if that makes sense.

I also like seashale76's post and agree with her stance.

 

[ebia]

How can schools not teach moral values? Schools are communities of people, and communities cannot function without moral values. A school that didn't teach moral values would be completely disfunctional.

The questions cannot actually be "should schools teach moral values", but "to what extent should schools explicity teach moral values in abstract ways".

Like it or not, schools are an applied lesson in morality.

 

[csp1073]

No, I don't think teaching morality in school is a good idea. I do feel like our culture is rather immoral, but how can you begin to go about teaching morality when there are so many different views? (even within sub-groups)

 

[quatona]

In as much as many parents are neglectful or unable to instill a good sense of morals in their children should public schools assume this task?

Depends on what you count as moral values, I guess.
Since school is the first bigger social system for kids communicating the ideas of social conduct is a necessity. School couldn´t even function without pursuing this task.

If so, just how far should they go?

Pretty much so far as to inform the children about the values their respective society is founded upon and expects them to be familiar with and to obey.

 

[seashale76]

Pretty much so far as to inform the children about the values their respective society is founded upon and expects them to be familiar with and to obey.

You're talking about civics.

 

[Ryal Kane]

I think if you teach it then it has to be when they're very young. Simply helping kids understand emapthy is a big step. Other people have feelingd and other people have right. Essentially it's the Golden Rule.
In addition, teaching Critical Thinking has also led to large drops in criminal behaviour among youths.

 

[Robbie_James_Francis]

Why should state schools teach kids to follow the law when many of us recognise that a lot of laws are wrong?

 

[ebia]

Why should state schools teach kids to follow the law when many of us recognise that a lot of laws are wrong?

If schools are limited to teaching that which everyone agrees on there isn't much left for them to work with.

Of course apart from the practical question that schools have to teach students to operate in community or the school becomes disfunctional, the question beyond that depends on what you think the purpose of state education is. The reality is that there are a number of answers to that question, some explicit, some tacit, and many of them contradictory to each other, and state education is somehow expected to fulfil all of them simulatenously.

 

[Robbie_James_Francis]

If schools are limited to teaching that which everyone agrees on there isn't much left for them to work with.

Of course apart from the practical question that schools have to teach students to operate in community or the school becomes disfunctional, the question beyond that depends on what you think the purpose of state education is. The reality is that there are a number of answers to that question, some explicit, some tacit, and many of them contradictory to each other, and state education is somehow expected to fulfil all of them simulatenously.

That makes a lot of sense.

 

[HighwayMan]

In a perfect world, morals should be the #1 priority for schools.

But in reality, any such attempt would be compromised and manipulated.

So human society fails again pretty much.

 

[The Nihilist]

In a perfect world, morals should be the #1 priority for schools.

But in reality, any such attempt would be compromised and manipulated.

So human society fails again pretty much.

#1 priority? You've heard of math, right?

 

[HighwayMan]

#1 priority? You've heard of math, right?

Math is not enough to make a good person. Hitler knew math too. He lacked something else.

 

[ebia]

In a perfect world, morals should be the #1 priority for schools.

But in reality, any such attempt would be compromised and manipulated.

So human society fails again pretty much.

It might be better to say that values should be the number one priority. Behaviour, moral and academic, ought then to follow from that.