I am obscenely gratified that my comments brought about such responses. I am
sorry I was not here on a more regular basis to respond.
Bob W. said:
>>> [Public schools] don't teach any values.
I interpreted the rest of Bob's message to indicate an opinion he may not
hold: that schools should teach moral values. Therefore I responded:
>> "Values" as in value system, i.e. morals? I wouldn't
>> want any school to teach my son values. [snip]
>> ....leave the values to us, as parents.
Roger retorted:
> Everything is values.
I think the word "values" has been abused here. I asked if "values" in this
context meant "morals" and if that is what was meant in Bob's message, then I
am skeptical of the value in tasking state-run schools to teach them.
(Morals, that is! So much of philosophy comes back to defining one's
terms... sigh.)
Drose said:
> Indoctrinating values is preserving the social order.
I would agree. But is it the proper responsibility of state-run schools?
John B. pointed out the success of the values curriculum in Great Britain,
and his comparison is valuable. With reservation, now I admit that perhaps
such a curriculum could add value, provided it is (in his words) "structured
to prevent the obvious potential for abuse." John, I would further agree
that it is likely such an initiative would be abused in at least some parts
of the U.S.
John continued:
> The suggestion that parents should have total control
> over the values taught to their children seems to stem
> from the dark past when children were [chattels].
I take exception to this; I did not state such an opinion. However, John's
interpretation of my comment highlights my knee-jerk reaction to the idea of
teaching moral values in schools. I suppose I have been so conditioned to
expect the separation of church and state, that the idea of a values
curriculum palls. Well, I'll try anything twice...
My father, to whom I attribute a large part of my value system, never went to
church in my memory. My mother coerced me to attend. Dad never spoke to me
of God or the Bible. He spoke of basic right and wrong. He spoke of the
values of work, responsibility and consistency. One of the most valuable
lessons I learned from him was to exempt argument from emotion.
If such lessons may be taught in schools, then I say do it! But can we keep
religion out of it?
-Scott
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