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Letter:

Teaching rules to live by

Han Pao-teh (漢寶德) made some very interesting comments about the role of educators ("Educators should stop acting like ostriches," Aug. 19, page 8)and there are several points that I would like to take up.

First, his argument is not clearly stated and at times one is somewhat confused as to what he is referring to.

For example: "Since educational circles have failed to come up with any solutions, the general public has not expected them to." What are the "solutions" that he is referring to? And indeed, what exactly is the "problem" in the first place? Such basics need to be stated clearly in any argumentative piece intended for a general readership in order to avoid skewed inferences that may later be made.

He then throws down the gauntlet by challenging educational reformers to come up with suitable new methods of teaching morality. He says that, traditionally, "the elderly believe that teachers should be held responsible for juvenile delinquency," but now that times have changed teachers cannot assume this role any more. His main point seems to be that, while traditional moral education is being increasingly put on the backburner, there is nothing available in its place to fill the vacuum. No one is prepared to stick their neck out and take responsibility for the moral education of our children anymore, he argues.

This is not just a problem in Taiwan, but is also a thorny issue for educators across the globe. In Ireland, we have recently had a school headmaster dismissed over the issue of whether children of the age of seven (both Catholic and Protestant) should be segregated during religious studies class. Debates such as these are old ones in Ireland and unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any immediate solution at present.

There is another strand in the debate, however, that Han didn't develop in his article. What about the role of parents in teaching children "how to be good" (citing Nick Hornby's book)? When Han writes that "the primary task of education is to teach children how to be good people," I would like to add that there are two main educators in the life of a child -- teachers and parents.

The responsibility of moral guidance or life education can't be borne solely by teachers. Complex issues like respect and accountability can be taught in school, but surely must equally be demonstrated at home, the primary learning space for any child.

As an educator myself I am more than aware of the problems besetting those in the teaching profession when it comes to teaching issues like respect, consideration and thoughtfulness in students, but I have found that they learn by example. I treat them as I would like them to treat me, and it also works vice versa.

Children and adults alike need rules to live by, a system where we can live with each other in relative ease. However, the rules change as the world changes, and we need new strategies in dealing with new problems that creep into our society every day of the week. The old rules are becoming, as Han pointed out, more and more obsolete and meaningless.

Educators (both parents and teachers) need to be trained and equipped with the skills of teaching right and wrong to our children in a meaningful way. The world is changing. Ethics and morals are not what they used to be. We need to give our children the educational tools that they need today, because what they need now is not what we needed 30 years ago.

This is the moral responsibility of governments. This is why we elect them and put them into power in the first place. If they are not doing that then they are not just failing the electorate, they are failing our children, the electorate of tomorrow.

Politicians must understand that we need to educate effectively and well today, for tomor-row's world has already arrived.

Nessa Cronin

Yuanlin
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