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There are serious obstacles to teaching moral values in schools, but they are not the theoretical or moral obstacles normally raised in discussions. The real problems are more of a pragmatic nature because (1) conducting productive value discussions is very difficult to do, even when teachers are well-trained in moral philosophy, (2) teacher education does not currently generally include moral philosophy, so unless they have learned moral philosophy outside that part of the curriculum, teachers are not likely even to be sufficiently trained to teach it very well, and (3) institutional, administrative values and needs of schools often conflict with humane moral values and the needs of students. (4) Parents, teachers, administrators, and community leaders, often don't really want anyone to think for themselves. What they really often want is for others to believe as they do because they believe they are right. And they don't want to have to consider arguments or discussions that point to the possibility that their views are mistaken.
Morality not necessarily religious in nature: The concept of "spiritual values" is often conjoined with "moral values" in a phrase such as "moral and spiritual values", as if the two concepts somehow necessarily go together. But it is a mistake to think so, if by "spiritual" one means "religious" in some aspect. It is a mistake because it causes unnecessary suspicions about the moral values, moral character, and moral behavior of other people along religious lines; and it is a mistake because it unnecessarily keeps moral education out of secular schools where it is mistakenly thought to be an intrusion of religion into those schools. Even when the phrase "moral and spiritual values" is not used, the conjunction of religion and ethics is still implied as in the common exhortations such as "We must bring God back into the schools and begin teaching moral values there again."
But "spiritual” can be as much about the human spirit as it is about the spirit of a deity. A person who is not religious in the practicing sense, but who has the utmost respect for others, and who believes there is a higher good than mere practical or material human concerns, physical needs, or his/her own desires and self-interest, may be described as a very spiritual person even if s/he does not believe in God as being some sort of person with particular character traits. In this sense, "spiritual" is being contrasted with "material", "physical", "corporeal", "merely functional", or "mercenary".
We want schools, as well as homes and other places, to teach children how to be kind and decent to others who are deserving, and to do the right thing for themselves and others. It is our character and obligations to ourselves, along with our relationships and obligations to others, that schools can discuss without intruding on anyone's views about their relationship with God.
Teaching moral philosophy or ethics requires being able to understand how complex issues can be analyzed into component parts, and it requires being able to think up ways to get students to understand how to do that. It raises issues of core values as you go along, but those core values have to do with things far more basic than just issues of life and death, honesty, obedience, loyalty, etc. And one is not so much trying to teach core values by imposition, as one is trying to teach by reason and the presentation of evidence. One is trying to get students to learn how to analyze complex issues and to learn how to discuss them meaningfully with others, so that if someone disagrees with them about a moral issue, they can find out where they or where the other person may have been mistaken.
But if schools are merely to be places where conventional views are transmitted without much understanding, then it will be socially impossible to teach those aspects of morality where people have different views, even if they are only surface differences.
At present schools use four chief methods in moral education. These methods are (1) inculcation, (2) values clarification, (3) moral development, and (4) value analysis. Some schools use a combination of these methods in an approach called comprehensive moral education. Inculcation is an effort to teach children the values that educators believe lead to moral behavior. These values include honesty, compassion, justice, and respect for others. One way of teaching such standards is to provide appropriate praise and punishment. Another means is to have teachers reflect the desired values in their own behavior. Values clarification helps students develop their own values and moral standards by teaching them a decision-making process. The learning procedures stress setting goals, choosing thoughtfully from alternatives, and acting on one's own convictions. Moral development helps students improve their ability to judge moral questions. This method is based on the theory that people progress from lower to higher stages of moral reasoning. According to the theory, people progress from making moral decisions based on self-interest, to seeking the approval of others, to following rules, to respecting the rights of others, and so on. At the highest moral level, an individual might oppose the laws of society if they conflict with moral principles that are even higher. Educators stimulate moral development primarily by having students discuss difficult questions called moral dilemmas. One dilemma might be, "Should Heintz steal food to feed his starving family?" Educators also stimulate moral development by establishing just schools, in which students govern themselves according to the principles of fairness and justice. Value analysis helps students apply techniques of logic and scientific investigation to matters involving values. Teachers stress the importance of exploring all alternatives, of gathering and evaluating the facts, and of making a logical decision.
The principal characteristics necessary to be good at learning to teach moral values effectively are (1) the willingness to take student views seriously even if they may seem obviously false, (2) the understanding that reason is the only tool that can make the course work (and not authority or dogmatism) regardless of where it might lead, (3) a willingness to make mistakes in front of students and have to change one's own views, and (4) a willingness to be sincere, honest, and genuine with students. And (5) it needs to be taught without grades, or at least with as little emphasis on grades as possible, so that it is not authoritarianism disguised as reasoning, and so that students don't feel pressured simply to memorize the material in order to be able to give the teacher's views on a test. In fact, the school "memorization" culture is one of the most difficult things to overcome in the classroom. Students have tended to memorize themselves into an intellectual passivity; teachers have continuously to seek ways to rekindle curiosity, reflection, and a willingness to voice disagreement.
Some people oppose the teaching of moral education in schools. Many of these individuals feel that only the family and church should provide such instruction. Others argue that moral education takes class time that should be used for such basic subjects as reading, writing, and mathematics. Surveys indicate that most parents favor some form of moral education in schools. Supporters of such education argue that the family and church need help in teaching moral behavior. Many believe that schools in a democratic society must teach such values as hard work, honesty, fairness, cooperation, tolerance, and respect.
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