Moral Case

One night, a few years ago, I was watching television with two of my younger brothers. As I flipped through the stations I could not help but notice that on every channel was an interview of our President, Bill Clinton. The discussion was about President Clinton's involvement with another women. They questioned him if he had "oral sex" or "committed adultery" with Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern. Neither of my brothers commented at the time on what they saw or heard but I just started to imagine what could be running through their heads. "Well if the President can, why can't I cheat and lie?"

This, just one of many, is an example of how a child's morals may be misguided. A young child may be looking at the wrong person or people as role models. If the situation rose in which a kid has the chance to cheat on a test will he? Would that child realize what he is doing wrong when people like the president are committing acts that may give that child the wrong impression on what is the right thing to do? These are just some questions that may be brought up on the topic that schools are teaching children bad morals.

Many people say that schools are not to blame for children holding bad morals. Some may ask, "Is it the schools responsibility to teach children good morals or is it the parents job?" Some parents are "too easy" on their children. In today's world most parents defend their children rather than punish them. For example, a child is caught doing drugs or alcohol, and instead of the kid receiving a punishment from the police, his parents hire a lawyer and find loop holes in the system to "get the kid out" without a punishment. This proves to kids that although they did something wrong they can get out of it so it's no big deal, bad morals.

Another problem that rises is that in today's schools teachers can not use any type of a faith or religion as a guideline for morals. Today's laws prohibit teachers from teaching religion in public schools. Teachers are also told not to involve personal feelings in their teaching. It is very difficult for teachers to teach about morals without involving what they feel is the "correct way to act." Some parents ask, "who are they to say what is right way for my child?" Because of this, some teachers try to avoid the topic of teaching children morals.

Overall, I feel that parents play a much larger role in the teaching of morals to their children than schools do. Children often look to parents and important people in their life as role models, and this is where real morals come from. It should not be the job of schools to teach morals, but to teach the facts about today's world. They should leave the parents the responsibility to teach their children how to act in that world.