Tuesday, June 20, 2006

A school is not a substitute for a family 

A letter in the St. Cloud Times this morning praises Sen. Tarryl "Blue Dress" Clark for her work on "Character Education."
...such programs are under way in many schools, but there has been no funding to share the curricula and materials with communities who have not had the programs.

At a time when large numbers of children are getting less solid guidance at home or through churches and other community structures, schools are increasingly called upon to help in strengthening understanding in basic areas of character: honesty, work ethic, ethical values, friendship and caring skills, loyalty, etc. ...

While a small part of a large appropriation, Clark should be appreciated for her support for character education...
I have to agree with MN Politics on this -- parents do this for free, and should. Here's the bill (go to line 28.22 for the relevant section.) In the past there was concern that this money would be used for teaching "sensitivity" and "tolerance". Mn Dept. of Education has at least redefined it to include drug education, but it also includes links to "service learning" ("offers opportunities for moral action") and other such substitutions for family guidance.

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