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Issue Paper SnapshotCharacter Education |
Character education has always been part of the American system of public education. Horace Mann (1796-1859) and other public school pioneers believed that character development and education for citizenship were two of the most important objectives of public education. Character education is about teaching values to students.
Despite arguments that teaching values is difficult because people can’t agree on what values to teach, surveys show widespread agreement on a basic set of values. Ninety-one percent of adult respondents in a 1996 WEAC statewide poll thought that schools should emphasize “character education” that included respect for others, personal responsibility and citizenship.
Talking Issues
- Parents want and expect schools to reinforce positive values that are commonly held in their community.
- Schools play a role in promoting values. Public schools support the values that Americans care most about: responsibility, hard work, citizenship, honesty, and respect for the law and for others.
- Parents and peers have the greatest impact on young people’s values. What public school teachers and school employees do best is reinforce the values that parents impress on their children.
- A 1996 Harris poll shows schools can have a positive effect on how students relate to one another (e.g., when teachers and other adults in the school treat students in a respectful and caring manner.)
- Many public school teachers are Sunday school teachers, scout leaders, community volunteers, and parents; they are productive citizens in their communities.
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