Not just read and write, but right and wrong; our schools need to teach values, too.

• Author: Townsend, Kathleen Kennedy
• Position: Part 1

Not Just Read and Write, But Right and Wrong

In a suburban high school's crowded classroom, a group of juniors explained to me why drugs are difficult to control. "You see, Mrs. Townsend, what if you want a new pair of Reeboks? You could sell drugs and make $250 in an afternoon. It's a lot easier and quicker than working at McDonald's. You'd have to work there a whole week."

In my work helping teachers, I've walked into countless high schools where I could have filled a garbage bag with the trash in the halls. Yet I rarely hear teachers asking students to pick up the garbage - or telling them not to litter in the first place.

Of course, many students obey the law, stay away from drugs, and perform selfless acts: they tutor, work with the elderly, or run antidrug campaigns. But too many lack a sense of duty to a larger community.

A survey recently conducted for People for the American Way asked just over 1,000 Americans between 15 and 24 what goals they considered important. Three times as many selected career success as chose community service - which finished dead last. Only one-third said they could countenance joining the military or working on a political campaign. During one focus group interview for the study, some young people were asked to name qualities that make this country special. There was a long silence until one young man came up with an answer: "Cable TV."

The study concluded, "Young people have learned only half of America's story...[they] reveal notions of America's unique character that emphasize freedom and license almost to the complete exclusion of service or participation...they fail to perceive a need to reciprocate by exercising the duties and responsibilities of good citizenship."

Thomas's promises

While it is easy enough to blame this problem on the "me-ism" of the Reagan years, it's time to recognize that it's also the result of deliberate educational policy. One principal I know speaks for too many others. "Schools," she says, "cannot impose duties on the students. Students come from different backgrounds. They have different standards."

Twice since 1982 the Maryland Department of Education has sent out questionnaires to local education departments soliciting opinions about values education. The answers are typical of those found across the United States. Many respondents were indifferent, simply stating that values education is "inherent" in teaching. Other answers were more hostile: "Specific training in values is a new development which we do not consider essential," and "A special effort would cause trouble."

The consensus of the high school teachers and administrators participating in a curriculum workshop I ran last summer said it all: "Values - we can't get into that."

Schools across America have simply refused to take responsibility for the character of their students. They wash their hands of the teaching of virtue, doing little to create an environment that teaches children the importance of self-discipline, obligation, and civic participation. As one teacher training text says, "There is no right or wrong answer to any question of value."

Is it any surprise that students tend to agree? These days it seems they're all relativists. A collection of high school interviews quotes one 11th-grader as saying, "What one person thinks is bad or wrong, another person might think that it is good or right. I don't think morals should be taught because it would cause more conflicts and mess up the student's mind." One of her classmates adds, "Moral values cannot be taught and people must learn what works for them. In other words, `Whatever gets you through the night, it's alright.'"

Now, it's obvious that the...