Why is common decency and respect (for your fellow man) not emphasized in school curriculum?

Question

Just added: I'm not speaking of how only children and teens act out, but how the behavior can progress into adulthood. It seems (to me) that the emphasis drops in grades following elementary school. Also, do you expect a kindergardener to understand the importance and full extent as well as retain the information with all of the new information they have to learn? I agree, parents are also responsible, but children usually spend equal or less time involved with parents than school and social activities.

Answer 1

Because the school curriculum is designed to pump out drones. If you have respect for others you will have respect for yourself, and we can't have that.

Answer 2

Your question notes an interesting situation within the education system today. On the one hand I do not think that schools omit any form of teaching social conduct, but you are correct to note that this conduct is not an established part of what is the 'curriculum'. I may not be the far-most expert in this, but I think this is probably more obvious in the public school system. I, like many others, can only presuppose an answer.

Firstly, the public system has a 'golden rule' about anything that may suggest or hint at a form of religious influence. You only need note that rarely will any public schools teach, for example, the theory of intelligent design along with the theory of evolution. Law suits have been filed by many parents to ensure that the separation of church and state is well kept away from the public system. In effect, schools become a place of great neutrality. The curriculum avoids anything that doesn't seem inverted 'educational', that is to say, orientated towards the practical subjects of knowledge.

Secondly, to coin an old cliche, the buck stops here. Nothing is more important to a school than its finances. Local, state, and federal money is based upon certain principles; integrated schooling, underprivileged students, and, most modernly, student and school performance. Rating is of such importance that teachers can be moved, principles and administrative staff removed, and property value can fall (everyone knows that a good school in close proximity raises property values). Teaching such things such as decency and respect is not highlighted at all in the dollar value. Only performance is measured.

Thirdly, and as consequence, teachers can no longer worry about such things. Their time and energy consists in preparing the students for their assessment exams, and in a special way trying to help the ones falling behind to catch up. I also think that in an unfortunate manner teacher unions have contributed to the dilemma. Unions define for the working professional the scope of their duties, and the many things that teachers used to take care of no longer fall under their auspice. To do so would be a breach of their terms and hence they can be penalized themselves.

There could be other varying factors involved as well but as far as my experience and studies have demonstrated to me, these seem to be the biggest players in the situation

Answer 3

First, because the secular progressives are slowly trying to get rid of God in school, and everywhere else for that matter.
Second, the lunatic liberals have continually lowered the bar of education, making it easier for little Johnny to pass to the next grade only because they don't want to hurts his feelings if he stays behind another year.
This has led to new generation of spppoiled kids that can't think for themselves yet believe the world revolves around them.
A narcissistic society that ignores the feelings of others and don't know the meaning of respect for you and I.
It's a gimme, gimme, now, now mentatlity.
You also see it in the customer service industry that a young teenager is involved in,
(ex: "What do you want?" instead of "How may I help you?")

Answer 4

I believe it IS emphasized, at least in the schools I've encountered in the US. Values like "Caring and Sharing" are emphasized to elementary schoolkids; "Respect and Responsibility, Neighborly Attitudes" are explicitly taught at the middle school level. I think you should look at what schools and teachers are actually doing before making a judgemental statement like this.

Answer 5

To a certain extent it is, but the problem is that they also teach the kids to be forward thinking individuals that question and judge everything. Then they go on to uni and get told that being a uni is not just about learning but about finding yourself and finding out who you are. (Have just been to pre enrollment at uni for my daughter). This is all very well and good but it is a very self centred way of thinking.

Answer 6

kindergarten was that year. now people go their own ways and it's the parent's responsibility to teach their kids. you're right because kids beat,bully and make life horrible for others. respect is a great thing.

Answer 7

Because of No Child Left Behind. Teachers will be fired if their students do not pass the assessments, and they must spend all of their time teaching to that test specifically.

Answer 8

Because the school system is filled with morons and sissy-pants. No offense. That's meant in the nicest way possible.

Answer 9

Because there are many from differen't cultures and just don't like to follow rules ...

Really depends on "up- bringing."

Answer 10

Because they only want to pass that damn test. Citizenship counts for nothing anymore.