Character education is considered by many to be a stepchild of the elementary curriculum. They include it, but only because they must, giving it the least amount of time and effort possible. At secondary level, most give it only a passing glance, and at the tertiary level, few even think about character education.
No small wonder! It seems that few of those at the helm of the tertiary level think of character at all, let alone teach it. Few let it impinge upon their lives. Few let it sit in on their classes, budget committee meetings, or other activities.
It has been only a few years since I had occasion to work in a private U.S. college, and I was aghast at some things occurring there. I had no opportunity to observe others teaching, but I did attend the budget committee meeting every month. There, with student tuition sky-rocketing out of control, I saw decisions made that sacrificed character.
At one meeting, for example, a decision was made to replace carpeting that was admittedly in good condition. Why? Wealthy patrons were most likely to visit that building. Since those people were accustomed to fine things, they must be treated to the same by the college if we wanted their donations. I wondered how many donations would be consumed by the new carpet. Likewise, I wondered how many donations were required for the fancy lunches we served these people each month, or the gifts we presented to them every Christmas. It amazed me that not one of the patrons ever seemed to say, “Hold on. We’re giving money to help make it possible for young people to get an education here!” Thriftiness was sacrificed readily for the smile of the wealthy.
Recently, I ran across a report on the rising costs of a college education. In it were listed some of the ways colleges and universities spend tuition money: a spa that accommodates dozens of students; a huge rock-climbing wall that accommodates dozens; a modern health club with rows and rows of equipment; etc. The universities have their reasons for such expenditures, but frugality and thriftiness are not among them. Responsibility for providing a solid education is not among them. Respect for parents who work hard to send students to college is not apparent. What is apparent is a marketing plan that throws character to the wind in order to entice students to attend.
What if every person involved in running those universities was required to take a character education course? What if every one of them was required to read the adult self-help book, Character to get a firm grasp on moral excellence and form a few strong convictions? Suppose they then were required to study the second book in that series, Courage, and decided to exercise the courage of their convictions.
If character education were present in our universities, I believe we would see many changes made, not only in budget decisions, but in teaching and every other area.
That’s the view from my chair. What’s your view?