Regardless of which atrocity one might seek to oppose, the very notion of a coherent appeal to conscience would be meaningless. In the meantime, children face an array of conditions, influences, and demands that few dreamed of before the turbulent sixties. They are expected to make decisions in a world where drugs, sexually transmitted diseases, suicide, preteen pregnancy, lack of respect for authority, violence, declining academic skills, breakdown of traditional family structures, and the insecurity of a rapidly changing social and economic future create anxiety and confusion. The American Association of School Administrators conducted its own national survey of teachers, principals, and administrators and found evidence of a severe decline in moral understanding and behavior among school children. It is not that teachers have totally failed to understand the matter or to fill the moral vacuum.
Most teachers are committed to teaching and modeling moral principles.
Many educators are reluctant to impose their beliefs on a culturally and religiously diverse community. This cultural and religious sensitivity has sometimes been cited as justification for employing curricular methods that give students opportunities for moral dialogue while withholding expectations of reasonable moral behavior. With evidence mounting that the laissez faire approach to values instruction has not worked, a call for the direct teaching of character traits has begun to be heard across the United States. Character education is rooted in traditional moral pedagogy and can be traced back to all nations and cultures, ancient and modern, religious and secular. This Bulletin explores the need for character education and shows how a direct approach can work in an interdependent and multicultural world.