Schools to Teach Respect, Honesty

Values go into curriculum as parents are failing at home.

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THE Education Ministry will introduce values to the national curriculum, as parents fail to teach them at home.

The introduction comes as teachers struggle with increasing numbers of badly behaved kids.

As part of a ministry curriculum review, a comprehensive list of values to be taught in schools has been put together. It is bringing the 10-year-old curriculum into line with what is already being taught — including honesty, respect and responsibility — in many schools.

But Principals Federation president Pat Newman — a supporter of values education — said "huge numbers" of children received none at home. It was frustrating that schools had to spend so much time on it.

"Unless we can get society to also reflect those values it is often like hitting your head against a brick wall. Why is it that schools have to do it?"

Mr Newman said kids were found fighting in the playground and parents were called into the school, only to back up their children’s actions.

"It’s the parents saying `we told him to stand up for himself and use his fists’.

"I believe schools have to teach values because somewhere along the line, if we don’t, our society is going to get worse than it is."

The list of values will be distributed to schools next year for consultation. A final version will become part of the national curriculum in 2007.

Despite a lack of ministry direction in the past, principals say most schools already teach values because often, no one else is.

Cannons Creek School principal Ruth O’Neill said the school introduced a values programme about three years ago after it was decided the "school culture" needed to be improved.

Parents were surveyed and the values sought were: respect, honesty and truthfulness, and responsibility.

"We were not happy with the behaviour of some of our children and the tone of the playground. The values programme has definitely been successful."

At Cannons Creek, values are built into the school’s reward system, which is run using a sticker chart with prizes up for grabs.

As part of a big curriculum stocktake and review, the ministry has contracted Waikato University to survey parents and teachers about the importance placed on values. A draft report was issued yesterday and the proposed list drawn up.

Ministry senior curriculum manager Mary Chamberlain said teachers wanted more direction and advice on what values to teach. She acknowledged many schools already taught values but said it was important to provide "a focus" for schools.

"What we’re trying to do is make it clearer what the expectation is."

It was expected the new values curriculum would help teachers include values in their day-to-day teaching, rather than as separate topics, she said. "It’s about teachers teaching in a way that clearly shows respect for others and in a way that links to the community."

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READING, WRITING AND VALUES

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An Education Ministry list of proposed values to be taught at secondary and primary schools.

Diversity: Unique cultures and heritages of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Community: Quality relationships, generosity of spirit and participating for the common good.

Respect and care: Of and for oneself, others, beliefs and human rights.

Equity: Fairness, social justice and equal opportunities for all.

Integrity: Honesty, responsibility, accountability and being ethical.

Environmental sustainability: Respect and care for the earth and its inter-related eco-systems.

Inquiry and curiosity: Creative, critical and reflective thinking.

Excellence: Achievement, perseverance and resilience.