Values Education

Overview

“On the whole human beings want to be good, but not too good and not quite all the time.”
[ George Orwell, 1903-1959 ]

Since classical times, education has been as much about developing character as imparting knowledge. In recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in values education. This one day workshop gives an introductory survey of three traditional approaches to morality and their relevance to the modern world. Drawing on the work of Jean Piaget, Lawrence Kohlberg and Robert Coles, we will look at moral development in children and the implications of various theories for teaching and education. Attention will be given to the role of the arts - in particular, literature - in moral education. The workshop concludes with a discussion of the challenge of teaching values in a multicultural world.

Topics Covered

• Ethics in the Modern World
• Moral Dilemmas
• Moral Development in Children
• Values Inside and Outside the Classroom
• Moral Education and the Arts
• The Challenge of Multiculturalism