Responsibility and respect are joining reading and writing as part of many school’s curriculum. And according to a survey of 400 moms and dads, conducted by the Center For Law and Education, parents consider adding “values” or “character education” to the curriculum key to improving the schools.
“We are seeing values being taught in a range of integrated classes including health, reading and physical fitness,” says Ginny Markell, vice president of programs for the National PTA.
Author and child-care specialist Dr. Benjamin Spock, who just completed a book called “A Better World For Our Children” (Contemporary Books, $12.95), says: “I think values should be taught at home and in the school. I don’t think you can shift it entirely to one or the other. It has always been the job of the home, but I don’t agree with those educators who say it should be left to the parent.”
While teaching values in school is gaining acceptance, the definition of values is still debated.
“We often confuse values and beliefs, and that is where the controversy begins,” says Diana Townsend-Butterworth, author of “Choosing Your Child’s First School” (Walker and Company, $22.95). “There are certain underlying human values such as honesty and respect on which we all agree. These cross over all religions and cultures. Other concrete lessons, like teaching the food pyramid with its recommended servings of meat, to vegetarians, focus more on beliefs. The value being taught in that lesson is to respect others whether they have similar eating habits to yours or not.
“Values aren’t learned from a curriculum or a chapter in a textbook as much as they are from life,” Townsend-Butterworth adds. “Children learn best by observing adults. If a teacher does a unit on respect and then ridicules a child, it undermines the lesson’s impact.”
A discussion of community events also serves as character education. Often, the teaching of values is decided upon by the communities and by parents’ selection of schools.
“In the Chicago Public Schools, character education is an option for each school,” according to Lula Ford, school leadership development officer. “Communities decide what works for them.”
Parents who are concerned with having their children taught about values have more options today than ever before, even among the public schools.
“Public schools can’t say we are teaching values because of the separation of church and state,” Ford says. “But we can teach character education and kindness.” It is best to look into the philosophy of the principal, teachers and parents groups when selecting a school.
Private schools can easily espouse a point of view, but Frank Pignatelli Ph.D. and chair of the Educational Leadership Department of Bank Street College in New York, advises parents to look at the institution itself.
Even if parents are generally in agreement with their school’s philosophy, there may be times when issues come up with which they don’t agree. The distribution of birth control in high schools is, for some parents, controversial.
“We send home notes and allow parents to have their children removed from class if they don’t agree with the subject matter,” Ford says.
But Spock sees no harm in the teaching of birth control. “I think that at a time when students are claiming the right to sexual freedom, it is appropriate for them to get birth control information in the classroom. A lot of parents consciously or unconsciously shift that uncomfortable lesson to the school. Some children don’t want to think of their parents as sexual beings and would prefer to discuss such issues with teachers.”
There are other reasons why teaching values in the schools make sense. With extended-day programs, children are spending more time in school. In addition, having counselors to handle crisis situations, such as student deaths, is becoming essential.
Just because schools are playing an important role in the teaching of values doesn’t mean that parents’ roles are diminishing. Parents should use the lessons learned at school as a springboard to discuss personal beliefs.
Stacey Kruger Birndorf, mother of 7-year-old Stephanie, had this to say about her daughter’s Catholic teacher: “The joy has been getting another education. I learned a lot about Catholicism, and it was a good way to discuss our Jewish heritage. We talked about accepting people and the importance of diversity. It was a wonderful year.”
