Moral Values
Question: “It is more important for teachers to help prepare students for exams than pass on moral values.” Do you agree?
In Singapore, parents, teachers and students all realise the importance of examinations in their educational journey and career. Our education system is so examination oriented that the media gives much coverage to schools whose results have improved, whose ‘ranking’ have been elevated. Excellence at examinations seems to preoccupy the minds of principals, teachers and, of course, the students themselves. But is mastery of knowledge the most important consideration in education or are there other important values to be taught to young minds, values that will guide them to maturity and responsible citizenship, values that will help them differentiate right from wrong, and choose good over evil? This needs discussion.
I agree that teachers need to know the syllabus and impart the necessary knowledge to students to help them pass their examinations. But this should not, and must not, be their only role in class. Teaching students to behave well is just as important. Society will not benefit if a student achieves distinctions for all his subjects in examinations but displays boorish behaviour and acts arrogantly in public. Yes, the teacher would have succeeded in playing his role in producing top students, but he would have failed when it comes to raising responsible students of the future.
Moral values are important, even more so than the acquisition of information. To me, moral values like honesty, courtesy and how to behave well in public is a must for everybody. I know of someone who despises his teacher because he feels that the teacher’s teaching method is dull and useless. Consequently, her behaves rudely (shouting at times), does not bring his books on purpose and even defies his teacher. However, this teacher does not send the rude boy to the principal immediately. Instead, he tries to talk this boy round, to make him...
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