Teaching Morals At School

[bellazella]

Now the teachers are expected to offer moral guidance, what next?

[lcg]

based on some of their own morals and that of a proportion of the mp's in current parliament....i don't necessarily think it's a good idea.

[bellazella]

Was waiting for sherrard to reply

[cathfromsaron]

i thought they always did offer moral guidance ...

[B00]

Is there a link to back this up?

Anyhoo, I think it's sad that teachers are now having to do what we, as parents, should be doing.

[bellazella]

I should have said, that parents expect them at primary school to say what is right and wrong

[NOX]

Teachers should offer basic non judgmental moral guidance. I'd be very disappointed if they didn't. You hardly want them to catch somone being bullied and say ' Oh carry on lads, it's nothing to do with me' do you?

[bellazella]

Heard it on the radio boo

[B00]

Ahhh, rightio.

Can see what Noxxy means, but doesn't it depend on what kinda morals we're talking about here?

[bellazella]

The basics right from wrong, another thing that teachers have to take on, because some parents are either to busy, or dont care

[B00]

Not good, however I'm sure I read somewhere last week (??) that reception class teachers are having to deal more and more with toilet training little 'uns now as parents can't even be bothered to do that anymore, so I guess morals to them (parents) doesn't even feature on their radar!

[bellazella]

Yep, a sad indictment of parenting

[ummmm]

Of course they should offer moral guidance. Children spend more time at school than they do at home!!

[sherrardk]

Hi bellazella - why are you waiting for me?

[China Doll]

Schools have always played a role in moral guidence haven't they? Especially catholic schools from my experience.

[seadogg]

Morals are caught not taught. That doesn't exclude teachers from being good models of course.

[bellazella]

For your input sherrard being a teacher

[sherrardk]

Gosh, you pick things up quickly! I taught in an upper school so the pupils were 13 when they got to our school so it wasn't really relevant. I objected to teaching PHSE as I felt this should have been something that should be 'picked up' outside of school. However, I realise that some parents wouldn't pass on the best advice and information so it is a bit tricky - but if it is going to be done at secondary level it should be taught by a specialist teacher not by the form tutor.

I strongly resent the implication by the education sector that the vast majority of parents/careers are feckless half-wits who are not fit to raise children and that they can hi-jack large chunks of what brining up children is all about.

[quinie]

I think "moral guidance" should be left to parents-the first five years of a child's life is important. It depends what the authorities mean by "offering moral guidance" In primary schools it was often incorporated into discussions after an RE lesson on the parables etc. RE used to be a compulsory subject (in Scottish schools) but that has changed now we are multicultural-don't know what they call it now. In any case I think a good lesson in life is The Golden Rule-do as you would be done by.Teachers have enough on their curriculum already .Incidentally I read somewhere that history.geography and physics are going to have different titles-what next??