Morality, character need larger role in education
- By Sheri Hansen
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, May 20, 2015
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Students have a calligraphy class at the Zhuhelu Elementary School in Handan City, north China's Hebei Province, Aug. 26, 2013. [Xinhua photo] |
In a global society that is increasingly morally bankrupt, how can we protect our children from negative forces while still providing them with opportunities for success?
Part of the answer to this lies in our definition of success.
Is the purpose of our lives to buy a car, a house, luxury items? To have a powerful job? To marry and have a family?
While there is nothing wrong with these goals, is it enough to acquire wealth if we do not spend generously on loved ones and those in need? To have a powerful position, if we abuse this power and do not use it for the good of society? To have a family if we are not faithful spouses and dedicated educators?
As materialism grows in the world unchecked, we are forgetting who we really are as human beings and the true purpose of our lives. There seems to be a vacuum of education about morality and how to live a meaningful life.
Parents, teachers and policy makers are bewildered as to what to teach children, while many of them fall prey to a host of negative forces. As a result of their education, many children do not have an effective framework to help them distinguish right from wrong, wisdom from folly, and true happiness from fleeting pleasure.
The influences on children and youth from the media, technology, family, peers and other social institutions can sometimes be contradictory and confusing, raising questions about identity and purpose.
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