Education Paper

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EDUCATION

Character education should be prioritized to make success a reality

Introduction

Currently, education in both developed and developing countries is based on academic

studies and information than focusing on the character of an individual as a whole. Teachers,

parents, and other stakeholders in the education sector greatly disregard the fact that every

learner needs to be nurtured in such a way that he or she can perfectly fit in society (Engelhardt

6). Further, only a few of these stakeholders acknowledge that there are a good number of people

who are successful yet did not get proper education, while there are those who got good

education but are not successful. This raises the issue that knowledge and credentials alone are

not sufficient; society needs the character strength of its people to act according to what they

have achieved in school. Stiff-Williams (116) argues that success is determined by character as

opposed to knowledge alone. For instance, people need to set and meet certain goals, be masters

of their own emotions, manage time wisely, and relate well with others. When all these values

are brought together, destiny is shaped. This is why education curriculum should shift from being

specifically academic-oriented to one prioritizing social and emotional skills as well.

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As far as curriculum in schools is concerned, there have been several attempts to address

the above problem. In the past, many teachers have tried to nurture character in growing children

but their efforts have been frustrated by school laws, policies, and parents’ attitudes towards

academic success versus character (Lopes et al 288). As such, academic knowledge that drives

success is currently not enough to nurture moral and philosophical understanding for the well

being of society.

Academics have been a priority but the consequences have been negative in most cases.

In the past, teachers have tried to include a slightly different approach in learning that attempts to

ensure that education is not only success or academic oriented. For instance, behavioral

modeling has been put in place by teachers to ensure that learners not only acquire classroom

knowledge but also get out of school with skills and behaviors that enable them to fit well in

society. From “Character Education in Portugal,” Lopes, et al (286) show that to a fair extent,

this approach has been successful where teachers have included interpersonal skills on top of

professional conduct. Moreover, it has been effective where a specific sequence has been

implemented. This involves presentation of an approach of professional behavior that is to be

learnt; an accurate reproduction of the suggested behavioral model; and response showing the

level of success of mastery of pertinent behaviors. However, this approach has failed to nurture

character in learners because behaviors that are taught to students using this approach

insufficiently comply with real professional situations and do not always adapt to specific

settings. This article clearly depicts that learners can be taught elements like interview skills or

career aspects yet lack an understanding of the aspect of self control or respect at a place of

work. It is significant to note that such an approach still rotates around academics but does not

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actually guarantee success. Thus, education curriculum ought to shift from emphasizing

academics and instead prioritize social and emotional skills.

According to Engelhardt (11), learners today get out of learning institutions with

credentials, information, and knowledge but they cannot be tolerated in workplaces, homes, and

in society as a whole. From this idea, it is interesting to note that teachers are trained to raise all-

round individuals but when they get to schools or in specific classrooms, they tend to forget that

children not only require knowledge but also social and emotional skills that enable them to

succeed. The rationale for reaching this move is; if different results have to be achieved, then the

curriculum design has to change as well. Redesigning classroom content starts with all education

stakeholders. Above all, students not only have to read and write a lot, but learn to experience

what it means to be good citizens, empowered to be heard through their credentials, skills, and

character.

Parents expect extra adult supervision and nurturing of good values by teachers. This is

because of factors like lack of adequate time to spend with their children and the social aspect

they can learn from being in an educational setting. In the article, “why technology alone won’t

fix schools,’ Toyama wonders what parents do when they think their young ones require an extra

boost. In his own experience, he gives an account of when he was at Lakeside private school as a

tutor for learners spanning academic spectrum (Toyama). Here, only a few of them were

pursuing honors calculus. These were diligent students who at the same time wanted a sounding

board as they struggled with their studies. Others struggled working out algebra and geometry.

Toyama would always help them out but he realized that some students required no substantive

help; rather they required prodding to complete their homework in the scheduled time. This

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brought the author to a conclusion that despite the differences in students in a classroom, they

had one thing in common; their parents were paying for extra adult supervision (Toyama). From

this context, it is clear that in a school environment, education does not only require a teacher to

teach subjects, but also guide and direct or correct. If not all students require help in class, then it

means parents realize there is something that teachers have to do in addition to academics.

Otherwise, some parents are teachers by profession and could as well teach their children at

home.

Opponents of character education argue that academic-based education is the most vital

as it is often linked to the positive outcomes most valued by society. In Regier (45), economic

success is the most crucial achievement for each person and nation. This is a significant entry

basing on the view that academic success is a dominant predictor of consequent income.

However, looking at most adults, there is a huge difference in how satisfied they are in the way

they lead their lives; the greatest determining factors are mental health and an individual’s

capability to relate well with others of which academic success is no guarantee of either. These

two values need to be addressed directly, yet addressing them directly will not sidetrack

academic performance, rather improve it, because of the fact that happy children learn better. In

this essence, schools that are currently worried of their students’ performance should realize that

they can do better academically if they pay more attention to the characters and emotional health

of the learners.

In another view, academic success is vital because people who are academically

successful tend to be independent and happier. Regier (67) states that such education

beneficiaries have higher chances of employment and earn higher salaries in most cases than

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those with less education. Further, they are more likely to access health insurance, depend less on

others, have less chances in engaging in crime, are charitable volunteers, are more active, and

healthier. Technologically-demanding occupations also require people with high levels of

knowledge and intellectual capacity. Above all, self-confidence and positive self-esteem among

adolescents are significant factors in commitment to academic success.

Before considering the above counterarguments, teachers, parents, and other education

stakeholders should be challenging children with the basic question on how they live their lives.

From what was recorded from the Josephson Report Card on Ethics of American Youth carried

out in 2012, there is a pressing need to include character education in school curriculums. The

study found out that about 60% of teens thought that character teaching as a value in schools is

unavoidable. For example, not all children will be interested in subjects like mathematics and

science, but all human beings have to develop interest in values like tolerance, fairness, and

honesty.

Best practice teaching is a must in every school but it is not sufficient to achieve effective

moral development in learners A few years back, an approach to character education was applied

in schools, where character was considered as immanent to best teaching practices. This method

was based on the view that there is limited need for specialized instruction in character education

in the curriculum. Therefore, character education was motivated through effective teaching, as a

precipitate of best instruction. To an extend of about 40%, this approach succeeded in moral

formation of their students by ensuring that pre-service teachers were prepared to become

excellent teachers. The question here is the effectiveness of such an approach. Stiff-Williams

(117) argues that at some point, it might have been sufficient in the past, but with special

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challenges that emerge in current settings in which children are brought up, moral and social

formation is greatly challenged. Consequently, teachers are expected to give a counterweight

approach to the challenges that is more deliberate and intentional. The deliberate strategy is

based on the perspective that learners excel in classroom communities, and should be in a

position to take on developmental challenges when they master the skills necessary for

responsible membership in a free and democratic world. This can only be achieved when

effective teachers are equipped with skills that qualify them to be good parents as well.

Conclusion

For years, the question on what makes life satisfying has never been perfectly answered.

While some people think academic success leads to a healthier and happier life, most of them

recognize character; moral value as the key to a well-balanced and happy individual. Considering

that past attempts to solve the problem of academic centered education in schools have not been

so much successful, it is a high time an education revolution happened, where character in

schools is prioritized so that the well being of children and adults can be improved for them to fit

perfectly in society. Parents need nothing more than seeing their children succeed both

academically and morally. In school, character education gives learners the necessary tools to be

used more often than those they acquire or learn in subjects like mathematics and history. From

the above analysis, it is clear that character education is a teaching approach that fosters the

development of responsible and moral beings. With the busy schedules that parents have,

children have less time with them, a factor that pushes schools to implement character education

in the curriculums so that learners can know of the right path to follow in their entire lives.

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Works cited

Engelhardt, Craig. Education Reform: Confronting the Secular Ideal. IAP. 2013. Print.

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Lopes, João; Oliveira, Célia; Reed, Lauren; Gable, Robert A. Character Education in Portugal.

Childhood Education, v89 n5 p286-289 2013. ERIC Number EJ1022672. Print.

Regier, Janelle. Why is Academic Success Important? Saskatchewan school boards association.

2011.

Stiff-Williams, Helen. Widening the Lens to Teach Character Education Alongside Standards

Curriculum. A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, v83 n4 p115-120

2010. ERIC Number: EJ885337. Print.

Toyama Kentaro. Why Technology Alone Won't Fix Schools. The Atlantic. 2016. Retrieved

from: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/06/why-technology-alone-

wont-fix-schools/394727/ on 15

November, 2017.

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