Time for a Moral Education

programme in schools

Dear Editor, A Moral Education programme in schools must now become a Number One priority One only has to read the daily news and think of the lawless behaviour as witnessed in our recent Mash celebrations to appreciate that we need to do something very urgently to arrest the backsliding of our society towards immorality on a large scale. By all appearances those who have the power to do something about this depressing situation are either incapable or unwilling to effect a reversal in this aspect of our culture.  In fact, there are some in the media and other public fora who are actually proposing that immoral patterns of behaviour are a part of our culture. Immorality, like all atrocities, not only breeds more of the same, but it spreads its tentacles to the perpetration of all sorts of evil: violence, domestic and public; rape and incest; robbery and the brutal killings that usually accompany these; general indiscipline, which includes irresponsible behaviour on our roads; teenage pregnancy and suicide; sloth among our workers; and corruption among police and other public officials.  It is just as true that, when we do not make a concerted effort to deal with any negative situation, it not only continues unabated but keeps on increasing. These all point to the crying need for something urgent and comprehensive to be initiated so that we can build a firm and stable foundation on which to maintain the societal, economic and other aspects of our development. I have long advocated the need for a unified effort by all those who are responsible for the upbringing and welfare of our youths to come together and develop a comprehensive programme to effect a renovation of the moral fabric of our society on all fronts within our communities, with of course the emphasis being placed on the young people in our schools.  This would contribute to the building of the character of our future generation, and instilling in them proper values which would help them to appreciate their responsibilities – to themselves to make the most out of themselves, to their families to learn to provide for their needs, and to the society at large to become responsible and productive citizens. The Ministry of Education, as well as the individual institutions and persons who are responsible for the development and operation of our school programmes, must appreciate that this process of character-building must take some prominence within their  curricula, as without it their efforts towards academic performance would be futile on the long term.  In simple terms, children need to make it a habit to ‘know the good, love the good, and do the good’ — not just once in a while when they are in the presence of others, but as a matter of conscience.  Otherwise our society will continue to be dominated by people who are self-centred and lacking in basic proper behaviour. In summary, these are my recommendations on the way forward for any moral education programme among our young people: * A greater place for moral education in public school curricula. * A cooperative effort among teachers, parents, media, courts, businesses, and civil, racial, ethnic, and religious organisations towards the creation of a social and cultural setting that supports moral behaviour and education. * The establishment and publicising of clear expectations for teachers and administrators in their roles as moral educators. * Increased attention to moral education at the teachers’ training colleges as well as training programmes at other educational institutions. * The inclusion of critical-thinking and decision-making skills in moral education. * Regular assessments of the moral climate of schools and conduct of students, with the results of those assessments being made public. I hope and pray that my appeal will at last bring some action to save our society from utter chaos. Roy Paul