Reinvigorating the Work of Schools Schools and communities that embrace the concept of character education are seeing signs of increased positive behavior and academic achievement by students of all ages. Character education teaches strategies that help develop positive character traits in children and youth. Through observation of role models, discussion, reflection and practical experiences, students learn what is right or good, and act accordingly. Character education holds that core ethical values, such as respect, responsibility, honesty and caring, are an essential foundation for creating environments that promote learning, and most importantly, nurturing.
Character education is intended to reinforce what parents teach.
But many children are not being taught values at home, so schools are one of the few places where they can learn these positive character traits. Esther F. Schaeffer, Executive Director and CEO of the CEP, cited various studies in recent years that indicate that our nation is concerned about the character of our citizens. Despite the public's interest in morals, values and character, current statistics show that children are not getting the nurturing experienced by earlier generations and that, instead, they are bombarded with negative influences through the media and other external sources prevalent in today's culture. National statistics show that nearly 1 million students in grades 6-12 took a gun to school last year and 6,093 students were expelled for taking a firearm to school last year. Sixty-six percent of teachers polled by the American Federation of Teachers indicated they had been verbally abused by a student, and 32 percent said they had been threatened or assaulted.