"Character matters": Values and Virtues

CHARACTER MATTERS: VALUES AND VIRTUES What’s the project about… For years parents and teachers discussed whether or not to teach values in schools. Since parents, teachers and society recognize that students have to be able to distinguish right from wrong character education programs have sprouted around the world. Character education is the teaching of core values. For example the  six teachable “pillars of character”: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Good character education means cultivating virtues through formation of good habits. Children need to learn through actions that honesty and compassion are good, and that deceit and cruelty are bad. Adults in schools and parents should strive to be models of good character. Character education is most effective when it is spread throughout regular school courses. In science, teachers can discuss the value of honesty in data, and in math, students can learn persistence by