Should we teach values in schools?

Question

Should we do more to instill values into our young people? Should we try to counteract the materialism that pop culture is placing on them, by having special classes that focus on proper values, such as honesty, respect, acceptance and kindness? What if the parents are not teaching these things like most people seem to think they should?

So far, everybody's answers have been very insightful and helpful. I 've received such a variety of perspectives, I can't pick which one is best yet. Mainly, some of them have shown me that I need to be more specific when saying "values". I don't mean religiously at all. I assumed that "values" was fairly self-explanatory. Things like, honesty, respect, acceptance, I thought were universal. Are there really people out there that would get offended if those were taught and emphasized in schools? What "contradicting values" are other parents teaching, that they might get upset over educators trying to make their kids into better people?

Answer 1

No! Schools take too much on themselves as it is. They are designed to teach the three R's. Parents are ultimately responsible for how their children turn out, and it seems that the more schools interfere with subjects like sex ed, the more the parents slough off their responsibilities. It isn't the school's job or right to teach anything other than the set curriculum. Make the parents shoulder their own responsibilties! It turns my stomach to think of my children being indoctrinated by strangers. Stick to what you're trained to do--teach core subjects.

FYI: A lot of parents ARE teaching values to their children, regardless of what "people" think to the contrary--we're called home schoolers!

Answer 2

reading, riting, and rithmatic should be taught, not the morals of the day, at least not in yet another class or assembly to get out of class. There are ways to teach that will instill values, ones such as fair play, honesty, competition, hardwork, neatness, etc. I guess that with the no child left behind act and todays emphasis on feel good fun instead of learning this may be hard to do.

Answer 3

I think teaching values in school would be a great idea even if it's not in a class, just by the way the teacher treats you and the way the discipline is in the school.

I'm only 18 and eventhough I came from a very strict, strict household where I was taught that you can't get through life without having respect, being honest, accepting people, and being kind. But, as soon as I got into school that all went down hill because many (not all) of my teachers had horrible attitudes in my schools and the kids were even worst, they would say horrible things and do horrible things even in front of the teachers and nothing would ever be said. I'm happy to say though from noticing by myself that I'm free from my once bad ways and back to my respectful ways.

It is true though, not many people are taught good values in the household and I think it's a great idea to teach the generation today how important good values are but just because they are being taught it in school and they go back and look up to parents that aren't following through with it and keep setting a bad example, that doesn't mean it will click.

It is a great idea though

Answer 4

The only way to teach values in school is by example. Any other way would be to violate the rights and mores of your student's parents.

A parent's values may not be those that you would adopt as your own but it is their right to "expect" their children to follow in their footsteps.

Right or wrong, we are not governed by the Ayatollahs of this world. Would you WANT their values taught in U.S. schools?

It is hard to challenge honesty, but respect and acceptance are fairly easy. If a parent has no respect for a person of another race, or is unwilling to accept same sex marriage then the values you teach may indeed be opposed to parental preferences. These are only two examples, and while I agree with neither suppositions, I still believe it would be wrong to "overtly" try to teach universally accepted values in any other way than by example.

Answer 5

Great idea, but who will choose the values to be taught? My social/religious caste may not have values that agree with yours, and I would not want my children "brainwashed" by your values in a public/private school (although if I choose a private school, I should agree with their values).

But maybe we could agree that as a society, we value honesty and integrity, which is displayed by our leaders so seldomly that we hang our heads in shame. We value kindness and thoughtfulness, and know if more people exhibited it the world would suddenly start to improve almost magically. We value punctuality, responsibility, etc. If we could agree on universal values, then I would absolutely support the teaching of values in schools.

This topic is one that would be worth a fight for...

Answer 6

this is an exceptionally sturdy question. As a instructor, this is always on my ideas. one element I do with my scholars is function playing. we are going to take a difficulty (like 2 scholars having a warfare of words) and act it out, discussing the various reactions that could want to happen and their outcomes. scholars have become more effective powerful at coping with bullying, warfare of words, and different kinds of situations because i have began this interest. I also advantages staggering habit. If a scholar is extremely variety, effectual, or uncomplicated, i will do not forget that scholar in the front of the category. I try this formally for issues that are truly good, yet i'm always declaring scholars after I see them make sturdy alternatives. on the turn edge, I help the scholars brainstorm how they could have finished something otherwise and infrequently set them on a habit chart to reduce that habit.

Answer 7

when people say 'values' they are too vague
a large part of the education curriculum in Japan, Italy, and Germany during totalitarian regimes centered around so-called moral education. the best 'values' are taught through experiences, social interactions, and from parents passing on what they know. the real problems in society occur when people insist on teaching 'old-fashioned values' instead of letting parents decide what their kids should know.

Answer 8

i teach high school

i can tell you from experience that values are NOT taught at home. so much of the time, school is the only place where students get any values taught to them or shared with them.

so yes, values MUST be taught

Answer 9

YES!!! For some students the school is the only place that values are taught. Not only that, school is the greatest socialization institution there is.

Answer 10

of course. i came from a school which the make us memorize the values of everything. she also wan us to practice it. this had made the students to act out all the values after some periods