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Where and how should children learn values? We know that they need to learn
them because values form the beliefs and attitudes that will determine how
they live their lives and function in society. To function effectively in
society, children need to be taught how to be honest, kind, courteous and
considerate. Any society that does not teach children these values would
soon fall apart. Similarly, one would expect a nation to be made up of
citizens who know how to respect other people and their property. These
citizens should also understand the value of humility and self-control. They
should appreciate courage and be willing to care for those weaker than
themselves. Any nation whose citizens have not been taught these values
would soon become a nation not worth living in. Teaching these values to
children cannot be delayed. This is because, unlike young animals, whose
instincts are often highly developed at birth, human babies are totally
dependent. Human beings have emotional needs, desires, thoughts and feelings
which determine action. This is precisely why they must learn values, not
just survival skills as do animals. These values will help control the
natural responses that result from satisfying purely selfish needs and
desires.
Whether we help them or not, children will absorb values as they
experience the world. The question is what kind of values? Too many parents
have no idea of the diet of violence and depravity that is available for
young people today. If we were to watch the programs on television that
children watch, the movies they enjoy, and the websites they frequent, we
would be shocked at what they are being exposed to. Violence, cruelty, and
perversion make up much of their entertainment. What is worrying is that the
impressionable young minds of children take what they see seriously. It
moulds their thinking and forms their values.
There has to be an antidote to the loose morals that are part of today's
culture. But who is to provide it? Children need to know of the
alternatives. They need to know that some things are just wrong. They need
an environment where they will be supported if they choose to do right. This
ability to make right choices based on sound values will become even more
important in the years ahead. The children of today are the leaders of
tomorrow. The values we have (or have not) imparted will be seen in the
decisions they make when they hold positions of responsibility. Will these
decisions be based on sound, moral values for the good of society?
In the light of the above, it is clearly unfair to cast the younger
generation adrift in the world without some moral compass to guide them. Who
is to equip them? Is it the school that should teach them values? Many
educators think it is, at least to some extent. Schools can do much to
arrest the problem of declining standards and values. The school curriculum
can promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development
that students need to prepare them for society and adult life. However, most
teachers would readily agree that the ultimate responsibility for the
development of children's values is not theirs. The main teachers should be
the children's parents. The most effective classroom is the home, where the
parents set the standards. Teachers can then help by reinforcing these
standards and supporting the parents' efforts to eliminate bad habits and
inappropriate behavior. |
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Based
on the passage given, write a summary:
• the
reasons children need to learn values
Your
summary must:
• be
in continuous writing ( not in note form )
• not
be longer than 130 words, including the 10 words given below
Begin
your summary as follow:
Children are impressionable and need to be taught moral values ... |
