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Show Schoolv and Home c& J Dr. Daryl J. McCarty Executive Secretary Utah Education Association A Gallup poll of American adults showed that four out of five - approved of schools teaching morals and moral behavior. Decades ago, teachers lectured their students stu-dents on rectitude because the public expected It. Then some people began raising questions about whether this was appropriate for the schools. The facts seem to Indicate that somebody, somewhere needs to teach the subject. . We see Jthe .evidence., all around us. Signs at service stations tell us that the com -pany won't keep cash around after dark because it might prove tempting to some stick-up artist. Go to a women's fashion store, and you find the stylish leather coats on the racks secured there by locks that can be opened only by a saleslady. Ask why and she'll tell you it's to prevent thefts by shoplifters who would otherwise oth-erwise brazenly wear the coats out of the place. Shoplif ing in Utah is on the increase again and of great concern to all merchants in our state. Enter a public building and you're asked to identify yourself to an armed guard. Ask why, and they explain there's been a bomb threat. So every now and then somebody calls on schools to teach "morals" or "ethics" or "values". But what should be taught in these classes? The courts tell us public schools cannot teach religion, reli-gion, so it can't be that, Some school systems are trying to define the kinds ol things that will be taught in moral education classes. Among them are such con- cepts as responsibility for one's own actions; honesty; respect for other persons property; respect for law; peaceful solutions to problems; prob-lems; tolerance; and the respect re-spect for rights of others. A North Dakota educator, speaking recently in Utah, declared that he will teach moral behavior to his students. stu-dents. He added that educators educa-tors had better learn to do this "or the bad people in the streets are going to pick up spears and start demanding demand-ing things." Some citizens believe moral education should be taught in the home or the church. Time and experience will tell us how much effort public schools will devote to this kind of education. In the , meantime, parents should make sure their children are taught morals and moral behavior in the home. |