Of the recent scandal allegations against the first family, the disgraceful conduct of President Chen Shui-bian's (
Chao Chien-ming, a respected doctor, was an exceptional student in his youth, embodying the boy wonder image that Taiwanese parents obsess over. As for Chao Yu-chu, he worked his way up to become an elementary school principal -- a testament to his hard work and dedication, which others have struggled to emulate.
The Chao family epitomized all that was decent and admirable in elite southern Taiwanese families. Chao Chien-ming's parents were both teachers held in high esteem. Chao and his brother both attended medical school at National Taiwan University, the nation's most prestigious medical institution; they both graduated and became respected physicians.
How is it that such a revered family, after becoming the first family's in-laws, suddenly lost their values? Is this a reflection of pervasive apathy in our society? Ethics have fallen prey to dysfunctional modes of education, both in the home and at school, and we need to thoroughly examine this phenomenon.
According to local media reports, Chao Yu-chu is one of the few elementary school principals in Tainan County who owns a Mercedes Benz. How has his flaunting his wealth impacted on his school and his community in general? Nobody has dared to call attention to his profligate lifestyle.
What's wrong with our society when a paragon of ethical standards suddenly starts worshipping money? What is truly bizarre is Chao Yu-chu's ability to wield political power well after his retirement as principal, interfering with the appointments of school principals and spawning a "Chao Yu-chu phenomena" that mocked government authority.
Was Chao Chien-ming -- the president's son-in-law and a physician -- fundamentally warped and ruined by things he saw and heard in his youth? Certainly, a school system that stresses quantifiable performance such as test scores at the expense of nurturing students' emotional and moral development, did not help Chao. And the problems resulting from Chao's and his father's greed will not end here. Taiwanese parents seem to be concerned only with how their children position themselves as adults to secure coveted posts and a good marriage.
Many parents are only intent on sharpening their children's skills, utterly neglecting the emotional skills and savvy that young people also need to succeed in life -- such as the ability to be introspective and have a firm moral grounding.
Faced with such a phenomenon, we need to search our souls and consider how to reinforce the core values and moral standards of the nation. Currently, the development of moral standards among our youth can be best characterized by the US psychologist Lawrence Hohlberg's description of obedience as compelled by the threat, or the actual application, of punishment.
As for critical problem-solving skills and approaching morality on its own terms for its own sake -- ie, not because of the threat of punishment -- our educational system does not do enough to address these issues.
However, it is never too late to take precautionary measures. The moral crisis triggered by the Chao family has compelled us to re-consider issues pertaining to personal and moral development that have been long neglected in our educational system. All parents and educators should give serious thought to this issue.
Prudence Zhou is a professor in the department of education at National Chengchi University.
Translated by Daniel Cheng
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