Positive partnership needed in teaching values

Positive partnership needed in teaching values

SINGAPORE- I am puzzled by the stance taken by youth practitioner Delane Lim ("Don't push responsibility of teaching values to schools"; May 13).

One would expect youth practitioners to advocate a positive partnership between parents and school educators to provide the necessary support for troubled young people.

Students spend most of their waking hours in school, modelling themselves after their teachers and hanging out with their peers. Do these interactions and activities not have any influence on the students?

Given the circumstances, can we fault parents for expecting schools to take a more proactive approach towards imparting the right values to their children?

Students do not have much time to bond with their families, or they may prefer to interact with their peers. The problem is exacerbated in dysfunctional families. It is wrong to simply pin the blame on dysfunctional families or parents who are facing other challenges while raising their children.

It is also wrong to assume that every child is a reflection of his parent. Just like no two siblings are similar in character, no child is a replica of his parent because each one is a unique individual with his own strengths and weaknesses.

The adults who are tasked with character and leadership education in schools need to change their mindset to comprehend the complexities of the issues at hand and embrace the right attitude.

Each party has a part to play, and all parties will need to work in constructive partnership with one another to help young adults receive a values-driven education.

Phyllis Christe (Ms)


This article was first published on May 22, 2014.
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