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THE IMPROVEMENT OF CHARACTER EDUCATION
Author(s): David Snedden Source: The Journal of Education , Vol. 88, No. 6 (2192) (AUGUST 8, 1918), pp. 144-145 Published by: Trustees of Boston University Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/42798619 Accessed: 08-09-2016 04:29 UTC
The public schools of the United States today are not regarded as inferior in any single important respect to the public schools of earlier periods. In many important respects they are distinctly superior. On the average the teachers are superior in general education, fineness of character, and freedom from mercenary and low motives. School discipline is better and more wholesome than formerly, while bullying, brutality, dishonesty and vulgarity on school grounds have decidedly diminished. There is no evidence that the schools of any country are superior to those of the United States as regards moral conditions or effective character education.g, there is no evidence to justify the insinuation sometimes made that our public schools, either as respects moral conditions in the schools themselves, or as respects their influence on the development of character, are infefior to private schools anywhere, or the public schools of other countries.
Nevertheless, there is urgent need that improved means and methods of character training and instruction shall be discovered and applied in our public schools. The moral and civic responsibilities of the citizens of a democracy in the twentieth century are as much more complicated, difficult and exacting than those of former periods as are national defence, transportation, government, industry, the adjustment of relations between different social groups and the making and enforcement of legislation. We yearly become more of an urban people ; economic specialization greatly complicates our social and political relations , increased participation in world politics is being forced on us, and the activities and responsibilities of government are being steadily multiplied. Schools must increase their influence over the character development of our children to prepare them for their heavier responsibilities.
The moral instruction and training which public schools know how to give at present is largely indirect. The teachers usually possess good high-minded personalities, and they set good examples of conduct to their pupils. Schoolroom discipline is usually wholesome and so gives some good training in harmonious living and in group cooperation. Such studies as history, literature, music and hygiene are fruitful of good suggestions. Sometimes we find a moderate amount of community civics, civil government, and even so-called “morals and manners” taught with some effectiveness. But, on the whole there is an absence of concerted, positive character , education.
The public schools need no special defence, for there is no occasion for lack of appreciation, and it is to their credit that they are disposed to co-operate in putting through a national research to improve their methods of character education, that they may be able to meet the increasing need for character development on the part of the citizens of the world’s greatest republic.