How Do They Teach/Instill Values At Your Child's School?

[fionas]

marcellus - the example I gave of my headmaster giving readings from the Bible in assembly about two wrongs not making a right, treating people as you would like to be treated yourself obviously had a lasting impression on me as I can still remember it more than 30 years later. I don't expect teachers to 'teach' ethics in the classroom as such, I suppose. But I'm just interested in what other methods are used, if not readings from the Bible (because that's not done in state schools), that's all.

[onthefly]

Yeah, I have the same question really.
I remember being told things, but that doesn't necessarily motivate me to actually live it.

[AliBaby]

Our schools core values are truth, respect, ressponsibility, kindness, effort and loyalty.

They are everywhere in our school. We teach each value as a unit of work (through a lot of role playing), a lot of teacher modeling and children can spot other children showing a core value and nominate them to the SRC leaders. When a child breaks a core value we have reflection time. The child completes a sheet with the teacher where they have to say/write/draw what they have done,why they think they behaved in that way, identify the core value they have broken, and work out how they will handle the situation next time. We have a pretty good school.

The one thing I have really noticed about our school (and its a big one with close to 700 students - public primary) is how tolerant the children are of each other. We have a lot of special needs students and they are so wonderfully supported by the student body. I think that this speaks volumes alone in how well the core values are being taught.

ETA- We trialled the ethics program this year at our school as we had such a high volume of children not attending scripture classes (which was a big shock considering our school is located in Sydney's "bible belt"). There has been very positive feedback from all involved.

[Floweryfields]

Unfortunately no matter what the school teaches the children (or indeed what the school is like itself), this will not stop little turds like the ones you experienced. Schools can only do so much when it comes to getting the children to actually adopt and practice the values they are taught - and if those values are also not taught, practices and appreciated in the home then you have children who may 'toe the line' when in view of teachers, but once they are out of sight they carry on like that.

Yep a school can only teach a certain amount - a family should be responsible for teaching a whole lot more in the home, unfortunately there are parents out there who couldn't care less about the values themselves, let alone wanting their children to have them...