A Conservative Christian View on Values - little chat with Focus on the Family, an ultra-religious group that opposes anybody or anything that doesn't agree with their views

School Administrator, Sept, 1995 by Linda Page

* Public virtue awards.

Public schools can reward students, parents, and staff members for out-standing effort and success in practicing these virtues through public acknowledgement certificates and tokens of appreciation provided by businesses, civic clubs, and other donors.

Will this really work within the public education system? Although we at Focus on the Family haven't as yet seen the ideal character education program in a public school, we are optimistic that many public schools and parents will join hands to articulate and integrate outstanding character education throughout school life and the curricula.

An Uneasy Feeling

When students and the adults in their world take personal responsibility for their choices, actions, and learning, and when they treat other people with the respect, compassion, and caring with which they want to be treated, we will have achieved a solid foundation for strong, positive character development and civic virtue.

Our belief remains that public schools can and should strive to instill habits of the heart in students that help them to practice the Golden Rule, personal and civic responsibility, honesty, compassion, and respect. We regard God--not social utilitarianism--as the source of all that is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.

Discussion of religion in the classroom, Bible clubs, and release time are certain to make some school leaders queasy. These few educators cling to the idea that social relativism and values clarification--the ruling philosophy of the last generation--can make the schools safe and education fruitful again.

But by virtually every measure--crime, violence, and student test scores--social relativism has failed students miserably. Not until public school educators and students alike abandon social relativism and embrace historical moral standards can we expect to see character education accomplish all that it must.

Linda Page previously worked 17 years in public education, including six years as a principal in the Fremont, Calif., Unified School District.