How do you feel about public schools teaching your children moral character?

Answer 1

Most parents don't teach their children morals.

So...

Where are children going to learn it?

Our laws our based on our morals. Morals come from the word: Mores - the things we do.

So if a child is not taught not to steal, then the child will break the law and wind up in jail.

Some kids are lucky they have morals drummed into their heads and they would never think of stealing or breaking any laws.

But what about single parent families? Who is going to back up the single parent when he or she tries to teach the child the difference between right and wrong?

There is no back up. The child gets away with a lot of bad things. The child winds up with a rap sheet and eventually winds up in jail.

The USA has more people in jail than all the other countries of the world combined! WHY?

Because no one has taught our kids morals, the difference between right and wrong and if the parents don't do it (and they don't) then who is the next logical choice?

The schools are run by the government.

The government makes the laws.

There is a connection isn't there.

Answer 2

A public school is essentially the "State" or the Government.

So your question can be rephrased as: How do you feel about a government teaching your children moral character? From my perspective, this is frightening, reprehensible and has been done before in other countries (and perhaps is being done in this one) with less than honorable (one might say evil) intent.

Many would say, right now, that public schools should be teaching moral character because the parents are not... but how about when / if the political climate shifts to something that YOU disagree with?

Is it still OK then?

California just passed a law (signed by the Guv'na) that bans the words "mom and dad" in any school material or discussion. This is supposedly to teach tolerance of non-traditional families...

And often, when someone claims broadly that parents are not teaching moral character to their children, this really translates into: Parents are not teaching moral character to their children THAT I AGREE WITH.

Let the bureaucracy (regardless of party in charge or prevailing ideology) define and teach moral character? I don't think so and I cannot understand why any sane person (without a political agenda) would want this.

Answer 3

They call it character education and it is a very bad idea. I've had many discussions with Character Ed. proponents.

Public schools can't teach a foundation for morality. They say honesty is good but have to carefully avoid saying why. The proponents will say that the "why be honest" question need never come up.

The problem is that there is always an implied answer to "why be good" and that answer is that the school praises good behavior and that praise feels good. Feeling good is the implied moral foundation. Often there are more material rewards than just good feelings. Schools give out awards, special privileges, candy, etc. to students when they exhibit good behavior and if that isn't rewards based character, I don't know what is.

But character ed is like motherhood. "What part of honesty do you not want me to teach?", asked one teacher and proponent. Politicians love it, principals love it, and most of all, companies selling character ed course materials love it. Teachers hope that it will make students better behaved which is all they want.

The fact that a public school asserts that it can teach children to be good assumes that a foundation isn't needed and, in particular, that a faith in God is not needed. If you question that, it immediately ticks off the parents who think they are moral without religion.

If it comes up at a PTA meeting, ask how the school plans to teach character without making it based upon "feel-goodism" or other types of rewards.

Schools only need to demand discipline and it is perfectly okay to back that demand with outright force. Why be honest? Because if you cheat, we'll send you to a special school for hard cases. None of this "you'll feel bad about it" stuff.

Answer 4

Moral character is needed by all. it is to a great extent different from and not allied with any particular religious education.

Ideally it should be taught by the parents. Idealism in this case frequently does not work. Either the parent is unable or unwilling, there is no parent or even grandparent or the social and neighborhood conditions are such that parental teaching is insufficient.

That leaves us with the choice of leaving moral character inadequately taught or being taught in the schools.

It you believe that moral character or as it is sometime called charachter education is important then the only choice open is for the school to either teach or reinforce.

Answer 5

Many parents do teach their children morals at home and then send their children to public schools where the parents morals are undermined by slogans like just be yourself, only you know what's right for you. And ideas like parents may be to old and closed minded to understand what you need.
Children certainly are taught morals in school. It's not what I have in mind when I'm forking over the doe to pay for the schools. Should we add one more thing to the list of what the government fails miserably at.

Answer 6

One of a school's main purpose in socialization! It's why home schooled kids are often socially inept, because they didn't get the mass-exposure.

So I'm all for children learning moral character through their experiences of participating in a large group, not necesarily it being taught from a book.

Answer 7

PARENTS should teach their children moral character. Too bad most parents are too busy keeping up with the Joneses and trying to advance their own careers to give a rip about how their kids turn out...

Answer 8

It's been their job for a long time. I can only hope to build my child's moral character higher at home so she always takes the high road and instinctively knows which road that is.

Answer 9

I feel it is one of the more obvious symptoms of a culture that is quickly handing its rights over to the government, trading privacy and choice for security and laziness, and generally going to hell in a handbasket. Character Counts, y'all!!