Values Education: A Moral Obligation or Dilemma?

By Millicent Lawton

Over the past quarter-century or so, many of those in charge of the public schools have believed their campuses should be neutral territory when it comes to teaching what is "right" and "good."

To consider otherwise was to cross a line that would risk irate phone calls from parents and bills from school district lawyers. The emphasis had shifted from molding good citizens to fostering the skills needed for students to make their own decisions.

But now, a growing number of educators are abandoning that position. Driven in large part by distress over the disintegration of family life and the tragedy of youth violence, they seek a return to a more traditional view of the responsibilities of schools...