Putting Character Back In Public Schools

Excessive moral relativism has provided much of the fuel behind many of our most intractable social problems - especially with young people

One study found that by the end of elementary school, the average American child has watched 100,000 acts of murder, assault, and rape on television.

Families and public institutions must discard our misgivings about promoting sound values.

In fact, shaping the character of children has always been part of the mission of public education. In large part, it is the unshackled authority of private schools that accounts for much of their appeal.

Character education - teaching basic civic virtues like courage, bravery, respect, responsibility, courtesy, tolerance, democracy, compassion, honesty, integrity and ethics - must become part of every student's public education.

It should encourage students to be open to new information, accept authority, respect achievement and to delay gratification.

It means teaching the virtues that the overwhelming majority of parents want their children to practice (It can be done without officially recognizing the religious traditions in which those values are rooted) and de-emphasizing the current emphasis on celebrity status, athletic prowess, materialism and financial success.

By improving student behavior in the classroom, character education makes it possible for more kids to learn and more teachers to teach. Without order, none of the other educational reforms will make a difference.

We should not just simply punish kids for being bad - we should also teach them to be good. Children learn to be good the same way they learn anything - hearing, seeing, and doing. They learn by being told what qualities are good, by witnessing examples of moral behavior, and by practicing these virtues themselves.

A survey of nearly 200 schools around the country that had instituted such programs found that 77 percent reported fewer disciplinary problems; 68 percent saw attendance increase; and 64 percent experienced less vandalism. In the first three years of a character education program at one New Haven, Conn., high school, teen pregnancies per year dropped from 16 to zero.

Colorado should provide resources to promote and assist school districts in integrating character education into their curriculums and, more importantly, their cultures. Maximum community involvement is necessary.

A central, statewide character education office should be created to coordinate schools' efforts and report on the state's character education movement, possibly as part of the school report card.

Standards should be set to get schools thinking in terms of results.

Advocating character education sends a strong message about values and represents a pragmatic, commonsensical and centrist solution, especially when contrasted with extreme and divisive proposals like posting the Ten Commandants in public schools.

In the wake of the Columbine tragedy, many right-wing conservatives said teachers should carry concealed weapons so they can “intervene” in any future shootings.

Rather, teachers should intervene with unconcealed weapons - love for children, knowledge and moral example.