Values Education: A Response to Moral Relativism.

Overview & Synopsis

There is a growing agreement that the moral relativism or value neutral education of the 1970s has been a failure, and many groups and individuals are calling for values education to become part of school curriculum. This paper focuses on the administration of values education and discusses the public policy debate surrounding it. Several institutions, through publications, conferences, and curriculum guides, advocate bringing values education back into the classroom. Most notable is People for the American Way, a public interest organization that sponsored a 1987 national conference on values education, and addressed some of the common concerns aroused by values education. The American Jewish Committee, the Center for Civic Education, and many other groups also advocate values education. A number of religions tend to back values education, as do many not-for-profit groups that advocate good citizenship. Several reviews have found the treatment of religion and values in textbooks to be unsatisfactory. A coalition of fourteen organizations from across the political and religious spectrum sponsored a brochure offering guidelines for teaching about religion in schools. They felt the need for more clarification of the appropriate place of religion in the schools, since it has played a significant role in history and society, but has been ignored in U.S. history textbooks. Many public figures also advocate values education, and several state and local governments have instituted programs for their schools. As more citizens learn about values education and as the mass media gives it more attention, the debate will increase and become more public. (AS)